Environmental Standards Reference for Tyre Recycling
The full set of environmental compliance limits a tyre recycling plant must stay within — covering effluent discharge parameters, stack emission ceilings, National Ambient Air Quality Standards for the surrounding area, and noise limits by zone.
| Category | Parameter | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Effluent (any discharge) | pH | 5.5 to 9.0 |
| Effluent — Inland surface | Suspended Solids | 100 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Sewer | Suspended Solids | 150 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Irrigation | Suspended Solids | 200 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Inland surface | BOD (3 days at 27 °C) | 30 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Sewer | BOD (3 days at 27 °C) | 350 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Irrigation | BOD (3 days at 27 °C) | 100 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent — Inland surface | COD | 250 milligrams per litre |
| Effluent (any) | Oil and Grease | 10 milligrams per litre |
| Stack emission | Particulate Matter | 150 milligrams per normal cubic metre |
| Stack emission | Lead | 10 milligrams per normal cubic metre |
| Stack emission | Carbon Monoxide | 1 percent (volume) |
| Stack design | Minimum stack height for small plants | H = 14 × Q raised to the power 0.3 metres |
| Ambient air (industrial, annual) | PM10 | 60 micrograms per cubic metre |
| Ambient air (residential, annual) | PM10 | 100 micrograms per cubic metre |
| Ambient air (industrial, annual) | PM2.5 | 40 micrograms per cubic metre |
| Ambient air (residential, annual) | PM2.5 | 60 micrograms per cubic metre |
| Noise — Industrial zone | Day 06:00 to 22:00 / Night 22:00 to 06:00 | 75 / 70 dB(A) Leq |
| Noise — Commercial zone | Day / Night | 65 / 55 dB(A) Leq |
| Noise — Residential zone | Day / Night | 55 / 45 dB(A) Leq |
| Noise — Silence zone | Day / Night | 50 / 40 dB(A) Leq |
| DG Set up to 1000 kVA | At 1 metre from enclosure | 75 dB(A) |
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How to read this table
- Rows are grouped by discharge type: blue = effluent, purple = stack air, cyan = NAAQS ambient air, amber = noise
- Effluent limits differ by receiving body — inland surface water (strictest), sewer, and irrigation — read the Category column to identify which applies to your plant
- Stack limits apply to the emission source (chimney); NAAQS limits apply to the ambient air around your plant — both must be met simultaneously
- dB(A) Leq values are energy-equivalent continuous levels, not peak readings
About this table
Tyre pyrolysis and recycling operations generate three types of environmental discharge: liquid effluent from washing and cooling circuits, stack emissions from the pyrolysis furnace and off-gas combustion, and noise from shredders and compressors. Each type has its own set of limits set by CPCB and MoEFCC — and breaching any of them can trigger consent cancellation by the SPCB.
For effluent, the most commonly monitored parameters are pH (which must stay between 5.5 and 9.0 for any discharge route), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (30 mg/L for inland surface discharge), Chemical Oxygen Demand (250 mg/L), and oil and grease (10 mg/L). BOD limits are much higher for sewer discharge (350 mg/L) than for direct discharge into a waterbody, which is why connecting to a common effluent treatment plant changes the compliance picture significantly.
For stack air emissions, the key limits are Particulate Matter at 150 mg/Nm³ and Lead at 10 mg/Nm³. Carbon Monoxide is capped at 1% by volume. The stack design itself must meet a minimum height formula — H = 14 × Q raised to the power 0.3 metres — where Q is the emission rate, ensuring dispersion above surrounding structures. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set the ceiling for the surrounding area: 60 µg/m³ for PM10 and 40 µg/m³ annually in industrial zones.
Noise limits follow zone type. Industrial zones are allowed the highest levels (75 dB(A) day, 70 dB(A) night); residential zones are capped at 55/45 dB(A). A plant sited in or near a residential zone faces significantly tighter noise obligations — most shredder installations require acoustic enclosures to comply. DG sets up to 1,000 kVA must not exceed 75 dB(A) at 1 metre from the enclosure.
Key insights
- Effluent BOD limit for inland surface discharge is 30 mg/L — more than 10 times stricter than for sewer discharge (350 mg/L), so discharge route selection has a major impact on treatment plant design
- Stack PM limit is 150 mg/Nm³ — requires a properly designed baghouse or wet scrubber on the pyrolysis furnace exhaust
- NAAQS requires ambient PM10 to stay below 60 µg/m³ annually in industrial zones — this is a background condition, not just a stack limit
- The stack height formula (H = 14 × Q^0.3 metres) means plants with higher emission rates must build proportionally taller chimneys
- DG sets without an integral acoustic enclosure are non-compliant from installation — not just during operations
Methodology & sources
Limits consolidated from CPCB General Emission Standards, Effluent Discharge Standards, NAAQS (as amended), and Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000. Applicable to tyre pyrolysis and mechanical recycling units in India as of 2024. Stack height formula applies to small plants per CPCB guidelines; larger plants may require dispersion modelling. Confirm current limits with your SPCB before commissioning.
Related data tables
Approvals and Registration Checklist by Project Stage
A ten-approval regulatory checklist for a tyre recycling plant in India — covering pre-construction permits, pre-operation consents, and ongoing annual and quarterly compliance obligations, with issuing authority and typical timelines.
CTE Annual Fee Structure
The SPCB annual consent fee formula and all its input components — scale factors that step down with plant size, pollution index factors by CPCB colour category, late-fee surcharges, and the 5% early-renewal discount.
Discharge & Emission Standards — Compliance Targets for Tyre Pyrolysis
The 10 specific discharge and emission compliance targets that every tyre pyrolysis plant must maintain — covering water effluent, stack air, ambient air, and noise, with the monitoring method and penalty trigger for each parameter.