Recovery Options for Plastic Parts from End-of-Life Vehicles: an Eco-Efficiency Assessment

The new European End-of-Life-Vehicles (ELV) Directive 2000/53/EC defines specific recovery, reuse and recycling targets for cars. In an eco-efficiency study, the Öko-Institut in Darmstadt/Germany analysed and evaluated the recycling and recovery options) for seven different plastic components from ELVs (weights ranging from 0.27 kg up to 3.14 kg).

The study intends to provide a transparent evaluation tool for the various technology options in terms of environmental impact and corresponding costs in a first step, based on existing data, completed by expert judgement, involving the inherent limitations of a first approach. The results are displayed in eco-efficiency portfolios.

The background data and the resulting portfolios were reviewed by a panel of independent peers. The study was commissioned by the Association of Plastics Manufactures in Europe (APME).