المجلة الدولية للعلوم والتقنية

With the rapid increase in number of cars on the streets - and their non-degradability, waste tyres are considered as a significant part of the urban waste stream that is growing in quantity every day and - present a major waste management problem in Libya where it has not received adequate interest, as the waste tyres processing, treatment and disposal are still nascent. Waste tyres dumps present a serious threat to both of environment and human health as they promote the growth of pests and diseases, burning of tyres can also cause several environmental problems such as air, water and soil pollutions. The study found that despite the Libyan laws forbid the dumping of waste of all tyres in any public places and punches the incineration of waste by a fine. However, there is no known judicial rulings issued in application of these laws, either due to a lack of environmental awareness among individuals or because most cases have ended in reconciliation, or because of the failure of the competent administrative authorities to apply and monitor the implementation of these laws. Due to the lack of previous studies and the scarcity of data regarding this problem in Libya, this study had been conducted to estimate the number of tyres generated in the city of Zawia which was found to be approximately 370,000 scrap tyres per year, amounting to 5050 tons per year. According to these findings, there are nearly 7.349 million waste tyres residing in environmentally unsound stock piles in Libya per year. This paper aims to shed a light on the problem and discuss their environmental impact. Keywords: Waste tyres, waste tyre management, environmental impact, environmental legislation