Page 62 from: Recycling International free issue 3 2023

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Paul Dietz: ‘The car recycling sector has become for more professional.’

ARN: CAR RECYCLING SPEEDS AHEAD
This year, Dutch organisation ARN celebrates 30 years in
business and it has witnessed many milestones over the
decades, according to ceo Paul Dietz. ‘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.’
In all, around 178 200 vehicles are scrapped every year.
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.
‘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 add-
ing a year of use every three years.’
The recycling side has also become ‘far more profession-
al’. 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 600kg
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.’

COPEX: PROUDLY MADE IN BRITTANY
As a company it’s not so easy to get to 75 years, says Frédéric
Malin, owner of French shear manufacturer Copex. ‘Copex has
had ups and downs. Fortunately, more ups than downs so we’re
still here, passionately serving the global recycling industry with
a team of experienced and dedicated people some of whom
have been with us for many years.’
Malin joined Copex in 1994 and since 1998 has been majority
shareholder and ceo. Copex is a proud company. ‘To come from
a small French machine shop to a big manufacturing firm with
references in 40 countries worldwide is something to be proud
of. I’m also proud of the fact that we still make machines in
France. It would probably be a lot cheaper to move our produc-
tion site in Lorient, Brittany to some low labour cost country but
that’s not who we are.’
Malin says it is more challenging to sell a machine to a recycler
in Germany than it is to one in somewhere such as Kazakhstan.
‘Don’t get me wrong: it’s nice to ship a shear to a remote part
of Asia or South America but for the long term future of Copex
it is crucial to build and maintain a solid customer base in lead-
ing markets like Europe and the US. Clearly, in these markets
we have to compete with other heavyweights. So now that
we’ve sold two machines in Germany that opens the door to
more business in the future.’
Markets come and go, observes Malin. ‘China used to be big
and promising. Everybody in the recycling equipment scene
was talking about China but that’s all over now.
‘By the way, we’ve been advertising in Recycling International
since the very beginning – that’s 25 years already. So, happy
birthday to you, too!’

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