Technical Paper
USCAR U.S. Field Trial for Automotive Polymers Recycling
2003-03-03
2003-01-0645
The United States Field Trial was chartered by the United States Council for Automotive Research/Vehicle Recycling Partnership (USCAR/VRP) with the objective of evaluating the feasibility and viability of collecting and recycling automotive polymers from domestic End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs). European concerns regarding vehicle abandonment risks, decreasing landfill capacity, and disposal practices have resulted in the legislated treatment of ELVs in Western Europe. The emergence of attendant material collection schemes promoting material recycling may not apply to the free-market economic conditions prevalent in North America vehicle recycling infrastructure. Although ELVs are among the most widely recycled consumer products, 15-25% of their total mass is currently discarded with no material recovery, although their residue, when permitted, is a preferred landfill day cover in some areas.
