The influence of end-of-life regulation on vehicle material circularity: A comparison of Europe, Japan, Australia and the US

Abstract

For many years, regulation and life cycle studies have focussed on reducing the environmental footprint of vehicles. Despite the implementation of different end-of-life vehicle (ELV) regulations to encourage material reuse and to increase recycling and recovery rates, it is unclear how these policies are progressing towards realising a circular economy (CE). This paper assesses the impact of different ELV regulations implemented in Europe, Japan, Australia, and the US on the effectiveness of product-based circularity using the Material Circularity Indicator and Product Circularity Indicator. Scenario analysis is carried out to identify potential improvements in vehicle material circularity based on different circular economy strategies: more advanced recycling technology; higher scrap utilisation; design for reuse/remanufacturing; and higher product utility; and the effects of changing vehicle technologies on material circularity. This study addresses the gap in current ELV regulations in a CE context using a quantitative assessment approach. It is shown that there is limited impact on the material circularity performance, at most by 17.3%, due to the focus on material recycling rates at the end-of-life phase. It is recommended that current ELV regulations are leveraged to implement effective CE strategies from a holistic life cycle approach, particularly through more scrap utilisation, higher intensity of vehicle use and the design for reuse/remanufacturing. The greatest potential for circularity improvement is shown through higher scrap utilisation. This is also the case for newer vehicle technologies, such as electrification and lightweighting, which have shown a wide range of material circularity outcomes due to changing material composition.