Positive Prospects for the Car recycling industry are emerging around the world. In contrast global production whilst down 1.5%, saw over 70 million cars produced last year. EU statistics reveal that 6 million cars are discarded, on average, each year. Most noteworthy those cars generate up to 9 million tonnes of waste per annum.
In the US, the auto recycling industry is worth around $25 billion per annum. There are more than 7000 car-recycling centres located around America, processing over 12 million cars annually. The US industry currently employs over 100,000 people.
56% of the delegates attending the recent annual International Automobile Recycling Congress (IARC) in Vienna view the car recycling sector trading conditions as ‘favourable’. 40% of the delegates expect the volume of cars ready for recycling to ‘strongly increase’ over the next two years. Event organisers said that 35% of the delegates expect car volumes to ‘grow steadily.
Electric cars
As election debate rages in Australia the future outlook for electric cars is a hot topic. Above all with the strong diesel reliance for long haul transport we can expect the make up of our car and transport industry to become a major policy area for the new government. Furthermore with a likely labour government and an increasingly ‘green’ senate the pressure for more government interference to low carbon emission transport options will intensify.
Even more pressing for the European recycling industry is the large number of discarded cars that are moved around EU members to countries where there are lower waste disposal standards. In Australia the industry is still consolidating. Companies like Recycal are investing in the latest European technology to ensure efficient and effective metal recycling practices. In Tasmania Recycal has invested nearly $20 million dollars into metal recycling machinery and technology that will ensure that it remains at the forefront of metal recycling. With the prospect of more electric cars, more stringent emission controls, the reduced use by date of vehicles, and their replacement, will see more demands placed on the industry.
