Belgium
What Belgian tyre law asks of you
Tyres EPR in Belgium is the country's oldest take-back obligation, running since 1 July 1999 under regional law rather than an EU tyre directive. The duty follows a simple rule: it lands on the first party to place a tyre on the Belgian market.
You are caught by the Belgian tyre rules if:
- You place new tyres on the Belgian market as a maker, importer or own-brand seller.
- You are a foreign internet seller above a certain volume of sales to Belgian private individuals (the exact figure is not published).
Two things sit outside the system entirely: bicycle tyres and track tyres. Everything else, from car to truck tyres, is in scope.
Selling tyres into Belgium from abroad
A foreign supplier can join Recytyre voluntarily, usually through a Belgian VAT number and sometimes by appointing a liable representative, and declare the total it places on the Belgian market.
The general mechanism is close to an authorised representative, though tyres run it through voluntary membership rather than a formal appointment.
Joining Recytyre in Belgium
Compliance is membership of Recytyre, or an individually approved plan filed with each regional authority. Joining is quick.
- Accept the Recytyre membership agreement and conditions online, and membership is active immediately with a login for members.recytyre.be.
- Alternatively, submit your own waste prevention and management plan to each competent region (OVAM in Flanders, Leefmilieu Brussel in Brussels, SPW in Wallonia).
Cost is a fixed environmental contribution per tyre by category, shown as a separate line on the invoice. The tyres of new passenger cars and light vans carry no separate contribution, and the tariff structure was revised on 1 May 2023.
Exact per-category amounts depend on the current tariff list, so use that rather than a fixed figure.
Reporting and enforcement in Belgium
Reporting to Recytyre is monthly by default, set automatically at membership, and low-volume members may report quarterly or annually on request and with Recytyre's approval.
The declaration is submitted around the tenth business day of the month after the reporting period, based on purchase invoices.
Enforcement runs through the regional take-back obligation that has been in force since 1999, applied by OVAM, SPW and Leefmilieu Brussel. No specific fine amount is published, so the practical risk is being pursued as a non-compliant first acquirer.
Little is dated to change. There is no EU tyre-specific directive, so tyres stay a national matter under the general waste rules. Compare the same first-acquirer logic in waste oils in Belgium, and the wider map across EPR in Belgium.
Frequently asked questions about Belgian tyres EPR
The questions producers raise most, answered short.
Who has to register for tyres EPR in Belgium?
The first party to place new tyres on the Belgian market, by joining Recytyre or filing an individual plan with the regions. Bicycle and track tyres are out of scope.
How much does tyres EPR cost in Belgium?
A fixed environmental contribution per tyre by category, shown as a separate invoice line. New passenger-car and light-van tyres carry no separate contribution. Exact amounts follow the current Recytyre tariff list, revised on 1 May 2023.
What happens if I sell without registering?
You are pursued under the regional take-back obligation by OVAM, SPW or Leefmilieu Brussel. No specific fine is published, but non-compliant first acquirers are the enforcement target.
Which register covers tyres in Belgium?
There is no central tyre register. Compliance is Recytyre membership or an individually approved plan with each regional authority.
Can I handle Belgium tyres EPR from abroad?
Yes. A foreign supplier can join Recytyre and declare on its Belgian distributors' behalf. If it does not, each Belgian first-acquirer customer carries the take-back duty itself.
