ELV Regulations

- updates to global car recycling regulations

Clearly a significant contributor to the progress of responsible car recycling around the world, is the introduction and continued improvement of End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) regulations. These regulations cover legal requirements for depollution, mandated recycling targets and the management of authorised treatment facilities to carry out responsible car recycling.

There is a vast difference in approach across the globe - from the EU, UK and Japan, where recycling rates of vehicles have to reach over 95% and often exceed that, to many developing nations where there are no formal ELV regulations at all.

We encourage you to research your own country's ELV regulations if they are in place and where clear improvements are needed, speak to authorities about progress, and to vehicle manufactures about producer responsibility.

These are the latest updates to car recycling regulations we are aware of, around the world…

European Union

  • New vehicles now have to contain at least 25% recycled plastic. 6.25% must come from retired vehicles to promote 'closed-loop' recycling - circular economy (that figure will be at least 20% by 2036).

  • Manufacturers are now legally required to design vehicles for easier dismantling and removal of critical recyclable components, such as copper.

  • Recycling regulations have been expanded to include lorries, buses, and motorcycles, which were previously exempt from EU ELV requirements.

  • To prevent 'missing ELVs' the EU now strictly prohibits the export of non-roadworthy vehicles - categorising them as hazardous waste instead of used goods.

China

  • Car manufacturers now have to build or contract a specific number of recycling service outlets in proportion with the volume of their regional sales.

  • New rules have been introduced to ensure that EV batteries must remain within the vehicle shell during the scrapping procedure ensure they are handled by authorised facilities.

  • Official protocols for New Energy Vehicles have been updated to include high-voltage safety standards for workers at recycling plants - to standardise dismantling of ELVs.

  • A digital ID is now required for every EV power battery so that its location and state of health can be tracked from production to disposal.

Japan

  • An 'Action Plan of Recycled Plastics for Automobiles' has been introduced by an industry-government consortium that has mandated 15-20% of plastic in new vehicles must come from recycled sources over the next decade.

United Kingdom

  • Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) must now use an Environment Agency portal to log every battery removed from a vehicle in real-time.

  • New environmental permits require the strict physical separation of lithium-ion batteries from traditional lead-acid batteries during storage for safety and effective recycling.

Countries to watch

- New ELV regulations

While they have not yet been introduced, there are ELV regulations being discussed and developed in several countries - New Zealand, Malaysia, Türkiye and Thailand.

We will update you as we hear about these developments.

The ELV Forum

A new ELV Forum has been established by stakeholders to monitor European and international regulatory developments related to ELVs. Their aim is to provide a structured platform for the exchange of practical experience and expertise to help develop applicable, effective and enforceable regulatory and policy frameworks for end-of-life vehicles.