Disposing of old vehicles bears many unintended consequences. While a vehicle’s most profitable materials get recycled and reused, the hazardous substances make their way into the environment in a dangerous and unsafe manner. Through landfills, the toxins from these materials ooze into the soil and make their way up the food web. Being exposed to unsafe levels of toxins can cause multiple health effects over time such as genetic problems in fetuses and cancer in adults. With around 27 million vehicles reaching the end of their useful lives and creating 8 to 9 million tonnes of waste in the European Union, EU implemented the End-of-Life Vehicle directive on September 18, 2000.
End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) directive focuses on reducing the impact that end-of-life vehicles have on human health and environment. The first and the most important aim in developing ELV directive are to reduce the usage of hazardous substances and release of the same into the environment. ELV imposes a list of responsibilities on the automotive industry including recycling rates and procedures. The directive encourages the vehicle manufacturers to create products with reusable or recyclable materials. ELV legislation restricts the use of certain materials in the manufacturing process. As per ELV directives, the primary responsibility regarding material compliance goes on Original Equipment Manufacturers. The OEMs are expected to document and certify compliance to meet the necessary requirements.
As per ELV directives, the chemical composition of automotive components must not contain the following materials in the corresponding concentrations:
The usage of bromated flame retardants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) is also restricted. End-of-Life Vehicle directive is applicable to each mechanically separable component and noncompliance with this can result in heavy penalties. ELV legislation encourages manufacturers to consider the future dismantling and recovery process of automobiles when designing their products.
We help companies with efficient and effective solutions with End-of-Life Vehicle directive and use advanced technology to detect chemical composition of the samples. Our global compliance strategies offer services including:
In certain situations and applications, lead, mercury, chromium-VI, or cadmium are permitted above the allowed limits under Annex II of the ELV Directive. Our team of experts can keep you updated on the regulatory changes and help you understand the list of exemptions. This in turn helps the manufacturers determine whether the substances used fall outside any of the allowable limits.
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