ELVISUSTECH LIFE09 ENV/ES/000460 - End life vehicles: innovative and sustainable technology for achieving European Directive targets
Overview
Background & policy context:
Recycling rates in the EU are increasing, in part thanks to the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directives (2000/53/CE and 2002/96/CE). Today, more than 85% of ELV materials have to be recycled; the next step is to reach a 95% recycling rate by 2015. However, Europe produces 12 million tonnes/year of electrical and electronic waste and more than 14 million vehicles/year reach the end of their useful life. Recycling technologies moreover still have room for improvement in order to achieve the targets set in the WEEE and ELV directives. For instance, problems persist in the treatment of dark plastics, rubber and difficult input materials such as light shredded fractions.
Objectives:
In order to solve the troubles detected with dark plastics, rubber and other difficult material, the project would develop an innovative sorting unit for end-of -life vehicles in order to increase the recycling rate and to promote the reuse or valorisation of different components from shredder waste. The project also aimed to:
- Reduce the amount of solid waste from the automotive and electronic-electric sectors that is disposed in landfills;
- Use an alternative energy source to separate waste that it is not reusable or that cannot be valorised; and
- Use suitable residues for energy generation and develop potential new markets and uses for others.
The sorting unit designed by the project would also reduce management costs from waste disposal to landfills and contribute to improved lifecycle maintenance for vehicles and electronic and electrical goods.
Share this page