In honour of Recycling International’s 25th anniversary, we are spotlighting leading industry players over the coming months. This time, it’s ARN, which is celebrating 30 years of car recycling innovation.
‘Our 300 members have achieved a 98.7% car recycling and reuse rate for several years now. This means we’re comfortably above the mandatory EU target of 95% – quite an achievement,’ says Paul Dietz, ceo of Dutch organisation ARN. In all, around 178 200 vehicles are scrapped in the Netherlands every year.
What do these numbers mean? The steel scrap alone generated from this sector totals 107 000 tonnes – enough material to build 15 Eiffel Towers. Added to this are more than 715 000 used tyres and 750 000 litres of recovered oil.
enjoys taking cars apart in his own garage.
‘As you can imagine, the automotive industry and the car recycling sector have changed radically over the last three decades,’ says Dietz. For example, the average lifespan of a vehicle then was only about 15 years. ‘Today, cars can last up to 25 years with carmakers adding a year of use every three years.’
The recycling side has also become ‘far more professional’. It all started when, in 2002, dedicated car recycling legislation came into force in the EU, sparking recycling awareness and ambition. It also proved the need for a post-shredder residue facility, built by ARN in the city of Tiel in 2008.
‘Despite exacting targets, we need to remember it’s all about the result, not how we get there,’ Dietz argues. ‘Policymakers tend to want to dictate a “one and only” route. This doesn’t lead to organic innovation and may stand in the way of progress.’
ARN is currently creating a new software portal to allow exporters to register their cars. It will also fund training for dismantlers so they are ready to safely and efficiently take apart electric vehicle batteries, which are slowly but surely increasing in numbers. ‘We collect about 113 000 tonnes worth of e-car batteries per year now.’
Dietz enjoys speculating about what awaits car recyclers. ‘Sure, the world is expecting self-driving cars and maybe, eventually, flying cars,’ he adds with a laugh. ‘Speaking practically, a vehicle is likely to have more electronic components but they won’t change that much. Ultimately, a car is still a car. It needs a steering wheel, brakes, tyres, doors and windows. I’m confident we will be able to handle the vehicles of the future.’
The 25th anniversary issue is available here >>
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