U.S. Automakers, Argonne Countrywide Laboratory, and American Plastics Council Lead Vehicle Recycling Effort

You may not have ever given it much thought, but what happens to vehicles at the end of their useful lives has long been an active concern of U.S. automakers, government researchers and private industry. In conjunction with America Recycles Day, representatives from all 3 entities gathered recently at the D.O.E.'s Argonne Countrywide Lab to discuss their vehicle recycling research, accomplishments to date and the Cooperative Research and Development Arrangement (CRADA) currently underway.

Today, in excess of 95 percent of all vehicles in the U.S. go through a market-driven recycling infrastructure, with no added cost or tax to consumers. In excess of 75 percent, by weight, of each end-of-life vehicle (ELV) is recycled, and the CRADA team is working to raise that percentage to as close to 100 percent as conceivably possible.

"The U.S. automakers have long taken a proactive stance in vehicle recycling. They continue to work side-by-side with government and private industry to optimally recycle all vehicles, regardless of age, content or origin," said Bill Gouse, executive director of the U.S. Council for Automotive Research. "If it's driven and disposed of here, the vehicle becomes part of the mix - along with a lot of other big disposables, like appliances and building demolition or commercial and industrial waste materials. The USCAR Vehicle Recycling Partnership, Argonne, and the American Plastics Council really are taking a Countrywide leadership role, addressing the entire lot of shredder residue, regardless of its source. They are working to implement sustainable recycling solutions that keep waste out of landfills, save energy and put materials into reuse."

The CRADA partners are USCAR's Vehicle Recycling Partnership, which represents DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation; Argonne Countrywide Laboratory; and the American Plastics Council. They are in the 2nd year of their 3rd CRADA. The 1st was established in 1991.

Thus far, the CRADA team impact has been broad and diverse and includes:

• Establishing and publishing preferred practices for recycling.
• Establishing efficient fluid removal processes.
• Running a licensed Vehicle Recycling Development Center to establish procedures that optimize materials recovery in vehicle dismantling.
• Researching separation technologies for commingled material streams.
• Initiating efforts targeted at removing substances of concern from shredder residue, regardless of its source.

A plastics sorting Pilot Plant in operation at Argonne is one of the more visible demonstrations of the CRADA team's research in action. "While the CRADA team is benchmarking and evaluating a range of technology options for sustainable recycling of ELV, the facility at Argonne serves as a focal point for the team's work," said Ed Daniels, director, Energy Systems Division at Argonne and head of the vehicle recycling research effort at the Laboratory.

The team also is working to anticipate and meet the recycling needs for components and parts in future and emerging vehicles such as hybrids and fuel cell vehicles.

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