Big Atom Launches Digital Tyre Tracking for ELTs

Ellesmere Port recycler Big Atom has launched a digital tyre tracking system that logs each end-of-life tyre from removal to verified processing. The platform uses digital vouchers that are sold by Big Atom to manufacturers and wholesalers, then transferred to garages. Traceability begins at the point of new-tyre sale and records hand-offs between garages, collectors and recyclers. It is designed to meet current UK waste requirements and align with forthcoming digital waste tracking rules due in 2026, supporting ESG reporting and audit needs.

What the digital tyre tracking system does

• Digital vouchers at sale. Big Atom sells vouchers to manufacturers and wholesalers, who transfer them to their garage customers. Tracking is tied to the sale of the new tyre and funds compliant recovery when the old tyre is removed.
• Traceable chain of custody. The system records the voucher from the new-tyre sale and every subsequent hand-off (from garage through collection and processing) to provide full auditability.
• Compliance by design. Big Atom says the platform is built to meet legal duties today and dovetail with the UK’s mandatory Digital Waste Tracking Service, which will make reporting compulsory for receiving sites from October 2026.

Why it matters for the UK tyre sector

End-of-life tyres have long suffered from fragmented records and weak oversight. A verified, API-friendly data trail is timely as policymakers tighten controls on ELT movements and exports. Recent sector coverage highlights pressure to keep tyres in regulated UK processing and curb whole-tyre exports context that underscores the need for digital tyre tracking and transparent custody.

Early results and partnerships

Big Atom’s collaboration with Tyre Spot shows how a wholesaler can move collections off its own fleet, reduce paperwork and improve compliance while maintaining service levels. Tyre News previously reported on the partnership’s operational gains and its model for plug-and-play ELT collections across multiple depots.

‍

How it works from voucher to verified endpoint

‍

Step 1: Removal & voucher

• Garages (the fitters) remove the tyre.
• The digital voucher is pre-assigned via manufacturers/wholesalers to the garage at the new-tyre sale. It is then redeemed and linked to the ELT record at removal.

Step 2: Collection & logistics

• Big Atom schedules collections via dedicated drivers and micro-hubs.
• Each movement is scanned to maintain the audit trail and support duty-of-care documentation.

Step 3: Processing & reporting

• Tyres are shredded and routed to verified recovery (e.g., granulation, chemical recycling).
• The platform produces compliance evidence and ESG-ready reporting, demonstrating outcomes for each load.

Compliance and policy alignment

The UK’s Digital Waste Tracking Service is moving to a staged rollout, with legislation planned so receiving-site operators must use the service from October 2026, ahead of expansion to other operators from April 2027. Systems that integrate via API and provide end-to-end traceability position tyre businesses for smoother adoption and fewer manual workloads.

‍

Today, Big Atom is more than a solution, it’s a bridge to the future we envision: a world where recovering resources from waste is more efficient than extracting them from the earth. A world where resources never go to waste.- Alexander Guslisty, CEO & Founder

‍

‍

Tagged with: digital tyre tracking, end-of-life tyres, tyre recycling compliance, ELT audit trail, waste tracking 2026, ESG reporting, Tyre Spot, UK tyre sector, duty of care, circular economy

‍