World News for Students of English

02-04-2025 07:00

Millions of waste tires from the UK are sent to India, but instead of being recycled, many end up in illegal pyrolysis plants. This process heats tires to extract oil and steel, releasing toxic chemicals into the air.

The BBC found that about half of the UK’s waste tires enter India’s black market, where they are burned in unregulated facilities. Despite strict UK regulations, weak enforcement allows this harmful trade to continue. In one case, a plant near Mumbai exploded, killing four people, including two children. Locals suffer from pollution-related health problems, as soot and chemicals contaminate their environment.

Though some factories have been shut down, many still operate. Environmental groups call for stricter controls on tire exports, but businesses claim they cannot control what happens once tires reach India. Activists argue that the UK government must take responsibility and stop this dangerous trade.

Difficult words: black market (an illegal place where things are bought and sold), unregulated (not controlled or checked by rules or laws), soot (a black powdery substance that comes from burning things).

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