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The automotive industry is facing today requirements from the European Union which change the competitive arena for OEMs. Weight reduction for vehicles from bonding material has been evaluated based on commercial products with proven performance. The value of bonding materials to achieve lighter weights has been quantified for the life cycle of the car over the 10 years life time and 150 000 km driving distance. The value of weight reduction will increase due to the increasing cost of fuel, the CO2 penalty which OEMs may face when not meeting 2008 fleet target of 140 gr CO2/100 km. OEM's are affected differently. Some OEM's are today on track to meeting the 2008 target of 140 gr CO2/km. The effect of diesel and engine development is high but also limited due to large investments needed.

Polyurethane is now one of the key materials in automotive production. It is used in a wide variety of applications in a car and end-of-life considerations should be addressed at the higher volume parts. The polyurethane raw material and converting industry through its industry associations ISOPA and Euro-Moulders respectively has evaluated best practices for recycling of seat cushions within the European End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive. The different aspects of ELV compliance, technical, investment, market, quality requirements of products and chain deficit were addressed and evaluated from a stake holder industry point of view. The reason for addressing mainly the recycling route is due to the stringent 85 % reuse and recycling quota for the End of life vehicle (ELV) to be met in 2015.

The use bonding materials in modern light weight vehicles may seem to restrict the requirements of the European End of Life Vehicle Directive. The high weight reduction efficiency of the various bonding applications supports the fuel reduction target of the OEMs and does not restrict compliance with the recycling or energy recovery targets. The paper summarizes the various bonding applications and their materials aspects.

The European ELV directive will demand from the automotive industry an 85 % reuse and recycling quota be met by 2015. New vehicle registration requirements will force the industry to show already beginning 2005 for new vehicles how this can be done in principle. Methods for calculating the overall vehicle reuse and recycling quota will be defined and agreed within the automotive industry today. This very high reuse and recycling quota of 85 % for the complete vehicle forces the OEM and the supply industry to reach a target level for recycling of plastics, which is higher than legislation has set targets in other market sectors. All large plastic parts are assessed how and to what extent they can contribute to the target. The Instrument Panel (IP) as manufactured today is probably the most challenging part in an ELV to recycle. But new design solutions, material concepts and recycling strategies are working towards this 85 % target.

The European Union (EU)-Thematic Network sponsored by DG Research of the European Community analyzed the subject of eco-efficient treatment with respect to plastics in End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV). This paper deals with the shredder residue treatment and use for today and in the future.

A more environmentally sound ELV disposal is presently discussed with the European Union directorates, the council of ministers and the European parliament. National plans or already existing legislation are in place in several countries like Germany. PU seating material is one of the key targets by legislators and environmental authorities for dismantling. The reason for dismantling seats is a potential recycling or recovery for the PU seating material as it is one of the large plastic parts and can be relatively easily dismantled. A general broad investigation on the ecological and economical impact of this PU material has not been done as for many other parts like the fuel tank, which are presently considered for dismantling. EU legislation in preparation is calling for a reduction in landfill from ELV's from 25% by weight today, to 5% by 2015.

Following the recovery of resalable parts through selective dismantling of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the remaining automobile hulks are today shredded in hammer mills to facilitate the recovery of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Large household appliances (white goods) and other light metal scrap are often co-shredded with ELVs. The residue from this industrial operation is called automotive shredder residue (ASR) and is predominately landfillled in Europe and the United States. In the present study, several real-world samples of ASR from automobiles-only and mixed-metal shredding were carefully hand-sorted into as many as 17 separate fractions and analyzed to ascertain the distribution of heavy metals and other materials. The study emphasized the plastic and rubber fractions with an interest toward increased recovery of these materials.

Research, development, and demonstration of environmentally and economically responsible and sustainable recovery options for plastics from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is an active area of study. The plastics industry has been researching a variety of mechanical recycling, feedstock recycling, energy/fuel recovery, and reuse options for post-use automotive plastics. This paper reports on recent commercial experience and test programs using automotive shredder residue (ASR) containing post-use automotive plastics as an environmentally sound energy source in modern waste-to-energy plants. Commercial experience in Europe, especially Germany and Switzerland, is highlighted. A major test program cosponsored by the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME) and the American Plastics Council (APC) has recently demonstrated that co-firing ASR with municipal solid waste (MSW) can be carried out in compliance with strict German air emissions and ash management regulations.