EMR Vehicle Recycling Group Grows

European Metal Recycling, one of the largest scrap recyclers in Europe, announced that it presently has signed up 300 vehicle dismantlers and treatment centers in the United Kingdom for its vehicle recycling network which it has founded.

EMR, which operates nine shredders in the UK, has signed up nearly a third of dismantlers to its network of facilities able to de-pollute vehicles to European environmental standards. The group consists of existing and new suppliers to EMR, which combined handle around one million vehicles a year.

Colin Iles, EMR’s managing director, said, “As the largest player in this industry, we are working to provide practical tools and support to help our suppliers remain competitive and achieve compliance in what will be a major challenge for many operators.”

“There are only benefits to be gained from joining our network. We are using our post-shredder recycling expertise to move towards the 85% target and our bargaining strength to secure exclusive deals for the collective benefit of our suppliers.”

EMR's network has not signed up itself with motor manufacturers to help them cope with producer responsibility requirements under Europe's ELV Directive. Nevertheless, it must still meet EU recycling targets for any vehicles it processes.

While a recycling rate of 75 percent is currently being achieved for vehicles in the UK – mostly through the recovery of easily-recycled metals – recyclers must hit a target of 85 percent of vehicles by next year.

EMR said it is investing "heavily" its dense media separation facilities in order to close the gap on the 2006 recycling targets.

The company runs two such facilities - at Blaydon, Tyneside, and one in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire – processing about 4,000 metric tons of material each week. It said the target "cannot be reached economically without significant post-shredder recovery".