Car recycling chain acts as ‘business partner’

‘There are 250 million vehicles circulating in Europe and the main priority today is to make sure they are correctly handled at their end of life,’ says Olivier François, president of EuRIC and one of the many industry experts speaking at the upcoming International Automobile Recycling Congress (IARC).

A new regulation combining type approval and end-of-life vehicles is expected from the European Commission by the end of the year. ‘Some of the most critical subjects currently under review by the Commission include the use of recycled plastics in new vehicles,’ François adds. ‘Its latest report on this subject will be shared at IARC.’

The recycling industry is already a major producer of raw materials: 50% of the steel produced in the EU comes from scrap. ‘The recycling industry needs to continue to have the capacity to innovate and invest to meet the increasing demands for more recycled content in vehicles,’ insists François.

Further progressis only possible, he insists, if any proposed extended producer responsibility scheme governance allows the recycling industry to continue to operate ‘as business partners’ of the automotive manufacturing sector. Belgian organisation Febelauto is quoted as a best practice example of balancing responsibilities and expenses, having created a win-win situation for both car manufacturers and recyclers.

François believes it is vital for all players in the value chain to discuss how best to move forward ‘as the legal context is shifting’.

The 2022 edition of the three-day IARC event is in Basel, Switzerland, from 5-7 July. Recycling International will attend the event and publish a detailed review in issue #5.