End-of-life vehicles management in Europe - Driving the Change

Abstract: End-of-life management of cars in Europe is regulated by a common legislative framework since 2000, when the Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) was adopted. The objectives of this legislation are: prevention of waste from ELVs through design improvements, and facilitating better recycling and treatment of ELVs by improving environmental performance of treatment facilities and attaining quantitative material recycling and recovery targets. The analysis of the car recycling sector shows that in a number of areas ELV treatment is falling behind legislative requirements and presumably behind its actual technically and economically feasible potential. The purpose of this thesis is to explore these areas where improvements are possible by looking at the current state of legislation implementation and enforcement, available technologies of ELV treatment and recycling of its components, and by exploring in a more detailed way the situation in two European countries with well established and currently compliant ELV management systems: Sweden and Germany. Special attention is paid to the analysis of current and prospective ELV related legislation; the implementation of extended producer responsibility principle; and currently applied practices and technologies in the dismantling and recycling sectors. A number of areas of concern are identified, and suggestions for the possible improvement strategies are made. Potential positive changes in car recycling sector are linked, but not limited to the technological possibility of attainment of ambitious recycling targets, while there is a significant potential in acquiring the long term strategic vision by the automotive sector, and applying sustainable resource utilisation philosophy.