Germany’s auto dismantlers see disappointing volumes

Germany’s BDSV (Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Stahlrecycling - und Entsorgungsunternehmen), says a new research report from Germany’s environmental protection agency the UBA has found that some 500,000 end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) in Germany annually are not going to compliant and licensed dismantlers.

The BDSV says Germany “has an excellent network of dismantling companies” for ELVs, but the plants, “which have been installed according to the regulations of the end-of-life vehicle regulation, suffer a considerable under-utilization.”

The UBA has found that more than 500,000 ELVs each year are being delivered to dismantling companies, but a further 500,000 are not ending up at appropriate disassembly sites.

The UBA’s report indicates that “illegal ELV traffic, illegal exploitation activities, a lack of enforcement of applicable laws and the non-enforceable demarcation between used cars and ELVs” are factors leading to half of ELVs not being properly handled in Germany.

BDSV says both dismantling and shredding companies “have invested many millions of euros in the last 20 years or so, in anticipation of a stringent law enforcement [and] to close the raw material loops in an environmentally sound manner.”

According to BDSV President Andreas Schwenter, the situation is threatening the viability of “an increasing number of smaller dismantling companies.” Adds Schwenter, “We no longer need regulation, but must apply the existing law. This also applies to the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, the detailed specifications of which are not being implemented in the same way in all member states.”

The BDSV president says he is concerned about new considerations relating to the amendment of the EU ELV directive to set up “producer-financed money pots.” Prior experience has shown, he says, that “this kind of planning would not attract investments from existing service providers.”