European and National ELV Regulations on Car Recovery, Their Impact on Polyurethane Applications in the Automotive Industry and a Proposal by the German Plastics Industry to Solve the Plastics Recovery Issue 2003-01-0644

Information on current European and national legislation concerning end-of-life-vehicles and their effects on raw material producers, TIER 1 suppliers, European OEMs and car importers, and the different recycling technologies and their importance for the future for fulfilling recycling quotas and other demands of the EU laws are presented. Twelve years of polyurethane recycling projects in the European car industry and their consequences for the future are discussed. It is shown that it will not be possible to recycle all plastic waste by means of mechanical recycling alone. Therefore a large scale technology to solve the waste problem is proposed. This solution will favorably include other waste streams and thus includes an integrated total waste stream management. This represents an offer of the German plastic industry to take over more responsibility and enhance co-operation with the OEMs. To facilitate this the German plastics industry will set up a legal entity “Tecpol” which will continue to work on this approach. Other industries are invited to join.