Keep the foot down on ELVs, argue recyclers

Two leading voices in the European recycling and waste management sectors believe the upcoming End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR) is a key opportunity to set the rules for fairness, transparency and long-term circularity in the automotive sector.

EuRIC and Fead argue in a joint press release that a circular automotive sector demands a robust regulatory framework to ensure the uptake of recycled materials. They say ELVR is the right opportunity to prevent practices hindering competition, circularity and recyclers’ efforts to recover materials.

To achieve this, they are urging policymakers to:

• Establish independent oversight to monitor the operations of producers and their Producer Responsibility Organisations to prevent potential market distortions and conflicts of interest.
• Where EPR schemes are already in place, the entire recycling value chain, from Authorised Treatment Facilities to mechanical recyclers (equipped with shredding and post-shredding technologies), must be included in the governance.
• Ensure that manufacturers cover the full costs of ELV recycling, including dismantling and treatment, with recyclers keeping ownership of the valuable parts and materials recovered.

Cartel lesson

Recent fines imposed by the Commission on 15 major car manufacturers and the European Automobiles Manufacturers’ Association for participating in a cartel concerning ELV recycling are said to show the need for change.‘To protect recyclers’ efforts, boost circularity, and guarantee the use of recycled materials, the EU must act decisively,’ the joint press release states. ‘ELVR is a key opportunity to set the rules for fairness, transparency, and long-term circularity in the automotive sector.’

Recycled content

To secure investments in high-quality recycling and the uptake of recycled materials, EuRIC and FEAD is calling for:

• The 25% recycled content target for plastics in ELVs, as proposed by the Commission, to be maintained. ‘This target is both realistic and verified, and should be based on post-consumer waste, excluding pre-consumer waste and biobased plastics, which could strongly undermine its effectiveness.’
• A mandatory recycled content target for steel as it is the leading material in vehicle production. ‘This target would drive investment and improve the quality of steel recovered from ELVs’.