The report – from consultants Viridis – said that of the 7.21 million tonnes of waste generated from the motor industry each year, 3.58 million tonnes comes from the production stage.
About 2.25 million tonnes of waste is generated in the UK as vehicles come to the end of their lives each year, but most of this (about 76%) is recycled.
The study makes a case for more waste minimisation in the motor industry, suggesting that a rethink on the materials used in production could reduce wastage. And, of the waste arising in the production process, at least 1.38 million tonnes would be capable of recycling, the study suggests.
The move to more fuel efficient vehicles means the increased use of difficult-to-recycle plastics and composites, it warned. Even in the production of plastics, however, the Viridis researchers suggested that switching to production processes such as moulding and lamination “are likely to give a reduced amount of cut-offs” and reduce overall wastage.
In the maintenance of cars, 0.75 million tonnes of materials are currently recycled, but this recycling is limited by a lack of infrastructure and markets for recycling, the report states.
ELVs
As for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the report states that 1.73 million tonnes of the waste arising is currently recycled (about 76% of the waste stream). This material is covered by the European ELV Directive, which requires an 80% recycling rate for ELVs by 2006 and an 85% rate by 2015.
But, the report warns there is not enough capacity in the UK to recycle more than 80% of ELVs, and that “this will need to be expanded considerably to meet the more stringent recovery targets in the ELV Directive”.
The full report, Sustainable Resource Use in the Motor Industry: A Mass Balance Approach, was funded by Biffaward and is available on the Viridis website.
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