Overview
European Directive 2000/53/CE related to end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) requires Member States to achieve a reuse and recovery rate of 95% for all ELVs by average weight by 2015. The countries must implement national legislation and tools to ensure that economic operators involved in ELV collection and treatment meet this target. However, despite significant efforts by European car constructors and other stakeholders, the highest ratio achieved is still only 91%. Non-ferrous metals, plastics, glass, foams and textiles make up around 21-26% of an ELV by weight and are thus an important target area for recycling efforts.
The LIFE project ICARRE 95 aims to demonstrate how to recycle 95% of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) at a regional scale - up to 30 000 ELVs per year - and to create a model that can be applied and exported to other sites and countries in France and Europe. To reach its objective, the project will concentrate its efforts on plastics, foams, glass, textiles and catalytic converters. After firstly outlining an effective process for dismantling the various parts of the recovered car, the beneficiary aims to develop a cradle-to-cradle process for recycling of non-ferrous metals, plastics, glass, foams and textiles. Such a process identifies and separates ‘technical’ materials that easily can be reused or recycled in a continuous cycle without losing their integrity and ‘biological’ materials that will biodegrade and must therefore be disposed of appropriately, for example through composting. One of the major uses foreseen for some of the recovered ‘technical’ materials are as second-hand components for use in car repairs or new builds. The beneficiary aims to nearly double the amount of recycled materials it uses in its car production within 3-5 years. It will also create a label for the parts, in order to facilitate a market and allow their sale through the company. In addition, the project will create an alternative supply-chain platform using waterways and railways to guarantee the supply of ELV volumes, second hand components and raw materials in and out of the project. Finally, it will create an ICARRE 95 Scientific Committee consisting of representatives of associate industries and academic institutions. This will examine new opportunities for developing green skills and know-how.
Expected results:
- Treatment of 30 000 ELVs/yr;
- Contribute to the achievement of 95% recycling of ELVs by weight;
- 15-20% of the weight of an ELV to be reused as second-hand components;
- An increase in recycled materials used in car production by Renault from some 27 000 tonnes/yr to more than 50 000 tonnes/yr within 3-5 years; and
- Savings of up to 11 600 tonnes/yr of CO2, 18 000 tonnes/yr of metals, 5 000 tonnes/yr of plastics, 3 000 tonnes/yr of glass and 250 tonnes/yr of catalytic converters.