‘Circularity in ELV recycling at risk’

There is growing concern among European car recyclers on a proposed revision to the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation. One of the major obstacles to achieving full circularity in ELV recycling is the low uptake of recycled plastics in new vehicles.

The European Commission’s draft regulation proposed ambitious targets, including 25% recycled plastic content, with the same percentage required for closed-loop recycling. But the European Parliament has suggested a reduction in these targets to 20% and 15%, respectively.

‘Achieving circularity in the field of ELVs requires a much higher uptake of recycled plastics in new cars put on the market,’ says Abderaman El Aoufir, ceo at major car recycler Derichebourg. His comments come in a newsletter from congress organiser ICM promoting its IARC car recycling conference in Antwerp in March.

More incineration?

If the new regulation moves towards a less ambitious approach, El Aoufir warns, this would result in continued landfill disposal or the incineration of plastics, hampering efforts to reduce waste. ‘Watering-down the targets for recycled content for plastics would also directly threaten investments and jobs that would make automotive more circular,’ he argues.

Beating illegal exports

Another ‘critical issue’ car recyclers continue to facing, says Derichebourg’s ceo, is the need to tackle illegal export from the EU of non-treated ELVs under the cover of secnd-hand vehicles. ‘Controls of exports of whole vehicles is key to stopping the export of unroadworthy vehicles.’