Carmakers Say Recycling Car Parts Is the Future – Here’s Why The automobile industry is under pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. Although there are many challenges in transitioning to cleaner forms of mobility, the industry acknowledges that it must look beyond electric vehicles to decarbonize transportation. “Circular manufacturing” strategies reduce waste by reducing and recycling parts to make new cars. Salvaging car parts and reusing has become a viable solution to the global problem. Manufacturing in a Circular Economy Internal combustion engine (ICE) cars emit an average of 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year. In view of the magnitude of the problem and the pollution it causes, many countries in the world are proposing bans on the sale of ICE vehicles starting from 2035. In the US, California is the first state to ban the sale of ICE cars from 2035 onwards. This means that people must adapt to the new regulation and shift to non-polluting cars. Reducing carbon emissions is also a vital strategy because from production to the afterlife of cars, they continue to pollute the environment. Hence, the idea of circular manufacturing arises to move towards zero-carbon cars – vehicles and their parts are reused, recycled, and remanufactured. The idea is still largely in the conceptual phase. Fortunately, progress is made. Abhishek Gupta of the World Economic Forum’s Circular Cars Initiative says that “people think they are only talking about recycling, but circular manufacturing is much larger than that.” The idea is to reduce the amount of energy and material that goes into building a vehicle, whether it’s to use more renewable energy or recycled parts. According to Gupta, looking at the carbon footprint and resources used can establish the level of circularity. What Happens When a Car Becomes Scrap A car is scrap when it no longer works or is worth the cost of repairing it. There is no resale value, but the parts may still be worth something. In circular manufacturing, stripped vehicles become valuable parts. For example, the engine is still working and is reused. If no longer viable, the parts are separated and metal that is not contaminated with oil or other hazardous substances is put with other recyclables. Sorting of recyclables is easier in circular manufacturing if the design of cars also includes a dismantling plan to make it easier to separate materials. Hence, car plants will have their own supply chain of materials from stripped parts. French auto brand, Renault, has the Refactory in Flins, France. It is Europe’s first factory dedicated to making and refurbishing vehicles and even converting some to electric vehicles. The dismantling line not only provides parts for discontinued cars, but also reconditions second-hand vehicles. In addition, it retrofits combustion motor vehicles to lesser-polluting power sources. The carbon footprint of combustion cars is enormous. The good news is with circular manufacturing, auto companies are making the effort to reduce, reuse, and retrofit car parts to minimize the waste that ends up in the environment. In the automotive space? Looking to join the circular economy? Reach out today to discuss implementing your own custom recycling program: here, 214-574-4100, or contact@venturemet.com! Credit: Waste Advantage. Back to Blog