End of Life Vehicles

Utter the words End of Life Vehicle (ELV), and many will immediately picture a scrap yard full of old cars leaking oil and water, been involved in a heavy impact, or are simply a gutted shell. But this is only part of the story.


The End of Life Vehicle Directive – 2000/53/EC (to give it’s full title) is a Europe-wide directive that was to be enforced in all member states by 21 April 2002. However, some countries failed to implement the legislation by the deadline and many took advantage of flexibility within the directive so that the ‘last owner’ of the vehicle would be responsible for disposal of an ELV until the end of 2006. From 1st January 2007 this responsibility passed to the vehicle manufacturers bringing all member states in line.

The directive includes various targets involving: environmental practices in the motor salvage industry, the prohibition of the use of various heavy metals in vehicles and the removal of various hazardous fluids and components in a safe manner. Additionally the directive seeks to promote and encourage the development of markets for recycled parts.

The target causing most discussion is that 95% of a car (by weight) must be reused, recycled or recovered by 2015.
These, and other regulations in the directive, close the loop, from design and build, through sale, service and use, to disposal and recycling. The vehicle manufacturer is now responsible for the whole life of the vehicle, not just design and sales.

So what has changed in vehicle design and build? Plenty. The directive dictates that the use of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and Hexavalent Chromium is now prohibited except in certain applications (i.e. batteries) according to a list that will be regularly reviewed. This ensures that these materials do not become shredder residues and are not incinerated or disposed of in landfills.
The European Union recently reported that this section alone has reduced the use of hazardous substances in vehicle production by 90%.

Manufacturers have also had to provide the industry with all requisite dismantling information with particular emphasis on hazardous materials and have to use component and material coding standards established by the European Commission to identify each individual part for recycling purposes.

In the next 5-10 years designers will have to adapt to many issues including:
 Greater environmental awareness resulting in lower vehicle weights and the use of alternative construction materials
New Legislation and industry standards, such as:
 Pedestrian impact
 Reduction of emissions in production and use of the vehicle
 Further increased environmental awareness
 Lower production costs
 Shorter lead times from design to manufacture

Looking closer at the first issue, vehicle weight is a major contributor to emissions, but it’s not all environmental, lighter cars have enhanced dynamics – handling, braking etc. The quest is on for designers to find components that meet all their requirements: are lighter and stronger, relatively inexpensive, environmentally attractive to produce and also recyclable in 2015.

It’s a tough challenge. For example, polymeric glazing (plastic glass) will be in use by a volume manufacturer within the next five years. Yes, it will be lighter than glass, however the plastics recycling market is currently not as advanced as the market for glass, so this has the potential to negatively impact the drive towards the 95% target.

Many manufacturers are already designing plastic components to be built using recycled materials and in many areas this is being achieved. Moreover, developments in shredder technology are starting to separate more of the various vehicle parts, resulting in less shredder residue going to landfill or incineration. Ultimately though the success of these developments rests upon the creation of a suitable marketplace willing to purchase the materials produced.

Outsourced parts are also a concern, as the manufacturer is ultimately responsible for the recyclability of all the components in their vehicles. Therefore they must ensure that all parts are recyclable within the terms of the ELV directive, i.e. do not contain any banned materials, are coded correctly and are also fit for the purpose for which they were designed.

The use of recycled material brings additional issues, including the availability and consistency of the material. It also requires the education of designers who may have little or no experience of working with recycled materials.

Concern remains over a number of areas both within and outside the ELV directive. For example, work must be done to develop effective recycled marketplaces. This has already started in the form of ongoing research, supported by the European Commission and many member states to investigate and develop recycled marketplaces and recycling processes in order to reach the 95% target.

The Commission also reported on the ELV process, specifically completing an impact assessment on the targets contained within the directive. It has concluded that there is no need to change these targets, despite fears that the current target of 95% by 2015 is unattainable.

The report highlights that any reduction in the targets will end the development of technology to treat the waste and that confirmation of the 2015 target will assist in removing current blockages to innovation. The assessment goes on to support the ELV Directive because it has triggered technological development in ELV treatment and stresses that continued development of treatment technologies will bring substantial environmental benefits.
You can find more details at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/elv_index.htm

As the worldwide vehicle market expands over the coming years environmental concerns are only going to increase, leading many areas of the world to follow the example set by the European Commission.
The work already completed in Europe has made this region a world leader in motor vehicle environmental and recycling activities, creating business opportunities by setting high, but in my opinion, achievable standards.

End of Life Vehicles

Ok, I know most of you understand ELV’s, but please allow me to expand on the EU regulations and show you that this is more than just a set of rules for vehicles in auto recycling yards.

The whole ELV process starts from vehicle design – ensuring components used in vehicle build can be recycled, adherence to a very specific list of materials that cannot be used in vehicles, ease of dismantling are all necessary. The EU believes that these regulations have resulted in a 90% reduction of hazardous substances in vehicle build since introduction.
Vehicle manufacturers also have a requirement to make dismantling information available to the auto recycling industry – including details of what components are made from, especially important when removing plastic components.
The European Union are also supporting development of recycling techniques and the recycled marketplace – to make sure that any components removed for recycling can be reused.

Once an ELV arrives at the auto recycling yard the vehicle must be stored on an impermeable surface, with sealed drainage until it has been de-polluted. This makes sure that any fluids leaking out are captured and cannot contaminate the surrounding area.
After de-pollution the vehicle can then go into the main yard.
De-pollution includes the following components and processes:
Air Conditioning – evacuation of the system, storage of the removed gas for safe recycling
Oils – removal of all oils from engine, gearbox, power steering and shock absorbers, includes removal of the engine oil filter. Fuel –removal of all fuels; Coolant –Removal; Screen Washer Fluid – removal; All fluids are then safely stored for future recycling.
All fluids need to be stored in sealed containers that are in a bunded area – an enclosed area that will stop fluid leaking out if storage tanks fail.
Tyres: Removed and stored for re-use or recycling, lead balance weights are removed from wheels and stored separately.
Airbags: Deployed.
Batteries: Removed and stored in sealed containers for recycling
Catalytic Converters: Removed and stored for future recycling.

Once the vehicle is considered to be ‘clean’ it can then go into the main yard for further processing as desired, this could be dismantling or straight to a shredder facility. Some recycling yards strip vehicles down further with cores going into separate bins, alloys separated from steel, etc.

Where does the future lie? – Well the EU has set the standard that the rest of the world must follow. There is still plenty to do, ELV legislation applies to cars and light commercials only, so the EU need to bring motorbikes and heavy commercials under the directive as soon as possible, and enforcement is a priority – according to latest reports 12 member states (out of 27) have not met the requirements of the ELV directive.
If this were my old school teacher it would get a B+, but could do better!

Scrapyard Safety

I can remember going into scrap yards as a teenager looking for parts for my Ford Escort, and having to climb three vehicles high to strip out the cylinder head that I wanted, there was no health and safety or environmental concerns, if you dropped your spanner it could have killed anyone unfortunate enough to be underneath, hi-viz was completely unknown and if oil was leaking out you just kicked some more mud over it!
Guard dogs roamed freely and if they didn’t like you they bit first. In fact I can remember one yard where the dog was chained to the back half of a car (an Austin Allegro was one of the sections used) that had no rear suspension, and he dragged this around the yard after him. Slowed him down a bit, but he could still bite you.

Nowadays you cannot get into many yards, and if you do you are dressed in safety boots, hi-viz and hard hats, and accompanied by a member of staff. Is this a sign of progress, or political correctness gone too far?
Those of us who are a certain age can all remember being driven in our parent’s cars, no seat belts, air bags or anti lock brakes, metal dashboards, hard plastic steering wheels, drum brakes and cross ply tyres. As car design and safety has increased dramatically since the 1970’s so has our recognition of unsafe practices at work. Some of the practices of generations past need to be consigned to the crusher, but have we gone too far?
I agree, the safety of employees and members of the public are of utmost importance, and we need to take all possible precautions to make working environments as safe as possible, but there seems to be too much reliance upon personal safety clothing than focusing on safe practices.
Formula 1 is recognised to be an unsafe sport where death and injury used to be regular occurrence, the steps taken over many years have made the operating environment - the cars and the tracks much safer, and then the driver’s safety equipment has been proved to be fit for purpose in preventing further injury in the event of an accident.
Motor salvage yards need reflect on Formula 1 experience, and make the operating environment as safe as possible – look at the condition of the yards, the vehicle handling and storage, the safe keeping of hazardous fluids and the de-pollution and vehicle repair environment, and then ensure that their employee’s safety equipment is fit for purpose.

This year, yes 2010, I have visited over 100 salvage yards, I deliberately leave my hi-viz equipment in the car when I arrive, and only 3 of the yards I have visited have asked me to wear any safety equipment as I complete site inspections. Of these yards, a number are open to customers, some stack vehicles two high, and I have seen vehicles being de-polluted whilst hanging from fork lifts. Standards are improving, but there is a long way to go.