letsrecycle.com

BIS vows to get tough as UK misses ELV target again

By Nick Mann

BIS has warned it may take enforcement action against poor-performing vehicle dismantlers, after figures showed the UK failed to reach the European target for it to recycle, recover or reuse 85% of end-of-life vehicles for the fourth year running in 2009.

Figures issued to letsrecycle.com by the Department for business, innovation and skills (BIS) indicate that the UKs end-of-life (ELV) recycling, recovery and reuse rate actually slipped slightly between 2008 and 2009, falling from 84.98% to 84.69%.

BIS praised efforts by companys such as Sims to recover more post-shredder residue
BIS praised efforts by companys such as Sims to recover more post-shredder residue

However, the department attributed this to a significantly higher total number of ELVs being reported in 2009, and said it was still confident that the UK would meet the 85% goal in the near future.

The 2009 figures, which were submitted to the European Commission at the end of June 2011, reveal that 1,327,517 million ELVs were generated in 2009, weighing 1,289,019 tonnes. This represents 117,223 more ELVs than were recorded in 2008 a growth BIS partly attributed to the impact of the vehicle scrappage scheme introduced in May 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).

The impact of this on the recycling rate was acknowledged by a BIS spokesman, who told letsrecycle.com: Owing to a significantly higher number of vehicles treated than in 2008, partly due to the success of the vehicle scrappage scheme, the overall target achievement rate slipped back slightly in 2009.

The actual 2009 recycling rate submitted by the UK to the Commission for 2009 was even lower than 84.69%, at just 83.54%. However, the department explained, as in previous years, it had included the weight of fuel to reach 84.69% – an issue it has raised in the past in discussions with the Commission.

Shredder residue

As was the case with the UKs performance in 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story), BIS again linked much of the UKs difficulties to problems faced with recovering post-shredder residue also known as automotive shredder residue (ASR).

“As the UK’s ELV regime has now been in place for a number of years, the Government is also looking to strengthen the enforcement approach for those companies that fail to meet the target”

BIS

This is because, while 75% of a vehicle is metal, and therefore easily recoverable through shredding, the remainder, such as plastic, glass and other non-metal components, is far harder to recover.

The issue is particularly acute for authorised treatment facilities (ATFs) generally vehicle dismantlers who are not members of one of the two ELV networks through which vehicle manufacturers meet their obligations to fund the collection and recycling of ELVs.

These challenges were highlighted by BIS, which described the additional recovery of ASR as critical for the UK to meet its ELV recycling goals.

The spokesman for the department explained: A fairly high proportion of non-aligned ATFs continue to undershoot the target.Government continues to stress to these ATFs the importance of ASR recovery as a way to meet the target and the need to have the necessary relationship with shredder companies to ensure that recovery happens.

Shredder companies

Both EMR and, most recently, Sims, have revealed investment in facilities to recover more ASR material, and BIS said it was encouraging that companies were spending money in this area.

But, the department also raised the potential for it to take enforcement action against ATFs which failed to reach the goal. The spokesman said: As the UK’s ELV regime has now been in place for a number of years, the Government is also looking to strengthen the enforcement approach for those companies that fail to meet the target.

Despite the UK again falling short of the 85% goal, it is again thought unlikely the European Commission will take action. Commenting on this, the spokesman said: The Commission has not raised this with the UK as an issue.

And, he gave a positive assessment of the UKs future prospects, explaining: We are confident that we will be able to meet the 85% target in the near future. Many shredder companies handling end of life vehicles have already invested significantly to recover material from ASR, and they are continuing to bring forward new plant and equipment to further their capabilities.

The 85% goal is set to increase to 95% in 2015, a target BIS acknowledged was extremely challenging, but said it was discussing how to meet it with both individual companies and stakeholder body the ELV Consultation Group.

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