Resource usage, waste and recycling in the automotive industry
Signatories to 91ÖÆƬ³§¹ÙÍø’s Sustainability Report monitor a variety of resource uses relating to automotive production, includingÌý
- Energy use per vehicle producedÌýÌý
- Water use per vehicle producedÌýÌý
- CO2 equivalents per vehicle producedÌý
- Proportion of waste to landfillÌý
Our data covers 99% of all cars and commercial vehicles produced in the UK, as well as those that supply the automotive industry and those that import vehicles for sale.Ìý
Many automotive manufacturers also invest heavily in on-site renewables – with almost a quarter of all energy used by signatories coming from clean energy generated on their own sites.Ìý
Waste Management
Less than 1% of material leftover from original equipment manufacturing processes goes to landfill. Zero waste to landfill is the ultimate aim for the automotive industry and many manufacturers have achieved this already. The vast majority of leftover materials from production are reused or recycled, with the remainder going to recovery (including waste to energy) and incineration.Ìý
Vehicle Recycling
The automotive industry is one of the world’s most prolific recyclers, recovering metals and non-metallic parts from vehicles that have reached the end of their use to build the next generation of cars, vans, trucks and buses.Ìý
Vehicle recycling is governed by the End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive, which calls for 95% of a vehicle’s weight to be reused, recycled or recovered. Ìý
VMs have an obligation to provide free take-back for cars and light commercial vehicles, for disposal through an Authorised Treatment Facility. Details are available on each manufacturer’s website.Ìý
On the behalf of industry, SMMThas an to cover recycling of vehicles from brands no longer commercially active in the UK.Ìý
- Chrysler [contact Fiat Chrysler UK]
Battery Recycling
Battery recycling is a crucial industry, vital for both the safe disposal of conventional vehicles batteries, and the larger power sources used by electrified vehicles to deliver zero emission mobility.Ìý
Under the 2009 Waste Batteries and Accumulators regulation, vehicle owners can dispose of their waste batteries free of charge. It is illegal to dispose of waste industrial or automotive batteries by landfill or incineration.Ìý
Each manufacturer provides its own arrangements for battery recycling, and a growing number of specialist battery recycling firms are SMMTmembers, recovering rare earths and materials from existing batteries for repurposing into new EV batteries and industrial power storage.Ìý