Current Scenario Not Suitable for All-Around Environmental Protection
During the panel discussion held yesterday by the German newspaper DIE ZEIT with German Environmental Minister Jürgen Trittin, BMW AG Board Member, Production, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, called for new recycling standards for the automotive industry. The European End-of-Life Vehicle Directive requires a utilization rate of 85 percent by weight for end-of-life vehicles as of 2006. Then, starting in 2015, this quota is to be raised to 95 percent.
The problem is that while heavy materials such as iron or steel may be recycled to fulfil this new directive, they make the car heavier and thus increase both energy consumption and CO2 emissions. By comparison, lightweight materials and regenerated raw materials reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions significantly during both production and throughout the life of a vehicle and therefore improve the vehicle's all-around ecological balance as a whole, but have a negative effect on the recycling balance.
A manufacturer that is committed to lightweight technologies, such as BMW Group, automatically suffers from a lower recycling rate in this case and inevitably marks a clear contradiction to the targets of the EU End-of-Life Vehicle Directive. "It is high time for politicians to consider the issue of environmental protection from an all-around perspective and not to create conflicts of interest by imposing isolated standards and limits slowing down progress in lightweight automotive production. Recycling at any cost is a dead-end street. Focusing on intelligent lightweight technologies, we wish to improve the overall ecological balance of a car throughout production and the vehicle's lifecycle all the way to recycling", said Dr Reithofer.
Intelligent Lightweight Technologies Instead of Rigid Recycling Quotas
In technical terms a BMW is almost completely recyclable even today, so that recycling quotas of 85 and, at a later date, 95 percent, are no challenge. But the imposition of such rigid standards does not make sense in ecological or economic terms. Instead, the BMW Group focuses on an intelligent mix of materials, using the proper material for each purpose to fulfill specific technical, ecological and economic demands with maximum efficiency. In the eyes of the automotive industry, political targets are not properly coordinated with the latest technological achievements in lightweight engineering and there is no sensible prioritization. "Lawmakers must pave the way for the best ecological solution in each case - regardless of whether this is recycling or combustion for the purpose of generating energy", stated Dr Reithofer.
An ecological balance recently achieved by BMW can be seen on the hood and front panels, which are made of aluminium on the new 5 Series. These lightweight components alone save approximately 10.6 gallons of gasoline throughout the life of the car. The reduction in weight that aluminium provides that can be up to 50 percent per component or, in absolute figures, by 26- 44 pounds per car. It also cuts back the recycling quota by approximately 1 percent.
Studies show that recycling is not the best approach in ecological terms particularly in the case of plastic components and regenerating raw materials: Ecologically sensible technologies such as the use of end-of-life plastic composites with a high calorific value for generating energy should not suffer from a rigid recycling quota.
"Design for Environment": BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center
The BMW Group has a broad range of experience in recycling. The BMW Group's Recycling and Dismantling Center (RDC) took up its activities back in 1990, long before politicians established any statutory rules or regulations in this area. At the RDC, specialists focus on the development of new cars from an ecological perspective from the very beginning. This objective is part of a future-oriented concept of "Design for Environment". In this process, recycling and ecological balance experts work hand in hand with development engineers at BMW's Research and Innovation Center. As a result, high-quality recycled materials are already used today in the production of new cars. And in pursuing this approach, the BMW Group has already established a network of recycling partners for more than 10 years. This ensures an environmentally-compatible utilization of end-of-life vehicles.
Exchange of Experience Among Politicians and Industry is The Right Answer
The BMW Group is convinced that the close cooperation of politicians and industry is the best way to meet the objective of enhancing the environmental compatibility of the motor vehicle. This means the establishment of individual margins of freedom and deregulation and the close coordination of isolated standards and limits, with an all-around view of environmental effects.
