Recycling - For the Benefit of Everyone
In most of the countries in the European Union, the vehicle constructors and importers are obliged to ensure the collection of the out-of-service vehicles by a well organized collection network. Dacia also created an own network for the collection of the out-of-service vehicles.
In Romania there is at minimum one collection center agreed by Dacia in every county, and in Bucharest there are three such centers.
Recycling must be considered a key aspect along the entire life duration of the vehicle. Taking advantage of the Renault experience in this field, Dacia gets involved in all the approaches that favour the recycling of its vehicles. Therefore, Dacia gets involved in the activity of waste decrease as much as possible. There are accomplished researches regarding the efficient dismantling technologies for the vehicles being at the end of their life duration, by promoting the reuse of the wastes resulted from cassation and the establishment of a strategy for the improvement of the use of recycled materials in case of certain car components.
On the duration of the recycling process, the vehicls is subject to a process for the extraction of:
- recyclable materials or of those that can produce energy
- reusable parts
- a percentage of residual wastes that will be stored in centers (specially arranged places)
Thus, very many components of a vehicle can be recycled:
- the lead in batteries is used for the production of other batteries
- the used oil is retreated in order to be reused as a fuel
- the rubber in the tyres may be reused for the construction of antiphonic walls or to serve as an energy source
- the windscreen and the glass may be reused for the production of fiberglass or even of glass
- steel is reused in industry or in constructions
- aluminum serves for the manufacture of new rims or of engines
This way, we may distinguish 3 types of valorisation:
- Reuse: for spare parts
- Material valorisation: the reuse of an element as a raw material or as a spare part
- Energetic valorisation: for the production of energy
At present, Dacia produces a vehicle that is built 95% of parts that can be subsequently recycled and already integrates parts of recycled materials. 95% of the plastic parts of your vehicle are marked with a sign that allows the identification of the main material they are manufactured of. This marking allows you to select more easily the dismantled parts and thus to optimize the recycling of every one of them. In addition, the Dacia vehicles respond to the demands of the European regulations regarding the environmental protection.
The dismantling of the out-of-service vehicles is an important phase in the valorisation process, and the accuracy with which this thing is done determines the possibility to reuse the dismembered parts and components. According to the European norms on the out-of-service vehicles, the motor cars manufacturers are obliged to provide information concerning the dismantling process of vehicles, and also the placement of all the hazardous substances used. Dacia observes this requirement and successfully joined the over 20 producers, by making this information available by a common electronic system – the International Dismantling Information System. For more information you can access the website at www.idis2.com [2]
Simple Actions for a Sustainable Development
Every car driver may contribute his/her own way to the environmental protection. During the vehicle maintenance stage, some simple actions are enough:
- Used or changed oil and parts must not be disposed of together with other household waste. Batteries, filters or other parts must be deposited to a specialized collection body.
- Certain used parts may be reused, stored or changed at a Dacia agreed center, where they will be treated or recycled. In this case it is about:
- batteries
- tyres
- oil
- oil, air filters, and also oil drums that are empty or filled with used oil
Life Duration of Vehicle
The life duration of a product represents for Dacia the best way to express its vision upon sustainable development, and also its putting into practice.
This approach allows us to consider 3 sustainable development pillars (economic rentability, social welfare, environmental protection), beginning with the design stage and until the end of a vehicle use stage.
The life duration of a vehicle is enough long and is reflected in some well determined stages:
- Design: conceiving a vehicle
- Production: extraction and production of materials, manufacture and mounting of all the components in a vehicle
- Distribution: the period comprised from the vehicle's getting out of the factory gate, until its purchase by the client
- Use of the motor car by the owner – the longest stage
- Recycling: the final stage, when the vehicle is collected and treated under special conditions of environmental protection
All of these stages compose what we call the life duration of the vehicle. In all of the 5 stages that are a part of the life duration of the vehicle, a very important role is played by the environmental protection concept.