India burns UK’s tires – level 2

India burns UK s tires

02-04-2025 07:00

Millions of old tires from the UK end up in India, but local factories don’t recycle them. They burn them. This process is called pyrolysis, and it is very dangerous because it releases harmful gases and chemicals into the air.

The factories are unsafe and often illegal. The BBC found that about half of the UK’s waste tires go to India’s black market, where workers process them in dangerous conditions. One factory near Mumbai exploded. The explosion killed four people, including two children. Local people have many health problems breathing problems due to pollution. Activists want stricter rules to stop this, but UK businesses say they cannot control what happens after tires arrive in India.

Difficult words: harmful (bad for health or nature), black market (the place where illegal business activities happen), conditions (the situation in which people live or work), pollution (dirty air, water, or land).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What hazardous outcomes are linked to using pyrolysis in India, and what specific incidents illustrate the risks to workers and local communities?

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