ELV Program Discussed in U.K.

Targets for End of Life Vehicles have been under discussion for some time in the UK. In order to establish effective and accurate goals, an organization has been created to research ELV recycling and recovery techniques for the automotive industry. The organization will hopefully succeed in quieting concerns that there may be a lack of post-shredder facilities in the UK in the near future. Post-shredder technology is a necessary item if Europe has hopes of reaching its recycling and recovery targets.

The organization, created by car manufacturers and dismantlers, has been titled the Consortium for Automotive Recycling (CARE). According to CARE, the EU has a 95% target for ELV recycling and recovery by 2015. According to letsrecycle.com, the plan is intended to "drive the development of sufficient capacity to allow both independent and contracted treatment facilities to reach their recycling goals".

Duncan Wemyss, secretary of the Motor Vehicle Dismantlers’ Association had cautioned that there is a lack of capacity in Europe for effectively separating certain materials such as plastics and glass after the completion of the shredding process

In reply to Wemyss’ comments, CARE chairman Peter Stokes said: "The 95% target will stimulate those post-shredder targets; the shredder doesn’t discriminate between materials that are from one of the service provider’s Authorised Treatment Facilities and those that aren’t."

The current structure of the ELV plan is that UK vehicle manufacturers must adhere to a 95% recycling and recovery rate for their own specific brand ELVs by 2015. They must also provide a network capable of offering free take-back of vehicles via one of two credible service providers -- Recycle.co.uk http://www.recycle.co.uk/news/874000.html