Magazine 95 - nr 3 (Engels)

“Joining forces to tackle this form of abuse�

Guus Wesselink, director Foundation for Tackling Vehicle crime

theme: LEAKAGE FLOWS IN RECYCLING environmental damage and unfair competition

How do we prevent cars disappearing from the chain? number 3 - summer 2011

in the picture photography Dreamstime

Even a tight-linked chain can reveal leakages. The recycling chain for vehicles consists of solid links that in practice tie in almost perfectly with one another. Nonetheless, vehicles do disappear from the chain of environmentally-sound processing. This phenomenon is known as leakage flows in car recycling. ARN aims to quantify these flows and eradicate them.

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photography Jack Tillmanns

95

Active approach

p4 RDW, LIV and AVc about jointly tackling leakage flows in car recycling

P10 What are the differences between shredding and chopping p12 Agentschap NL is monitoring coordinator

p17 Case study Leakage flows p27 Column chemical technologist Gijsbert Korevaar

p28 Interim trade about leakage flows and the Activities Decree p32 Wecycle and responsible recycling p36 News, media, gadgets

p38 95 Short p40 From demolishing to recycling

Leakage flows in car recycling are a thorn in ARN’s flesh. The greatest problem is fake export, whereby cars disappear without them actually being exported. The result is false competition, damaging to bona fide car dismantling and shredder companies. This practice is also bad for the environment. The fake export cars are often scrapped in places where there is no supervision of harmful substances, and are then possibly chopped. The chopping of end-of-life vehicles may be cheaper than shredding, but is forbidden by law.

Unlike in shredded scrap, the non-metal elements are not separated from chopped scrap. These components are simply incinerated in the smelting ovens resulting in considerable environmental pollution. Sufficient reasons to consider this subject from every angle, in this issue of 95.

It is essential that we actively tackle this problem, together with all parties involved, even if it means increasing the administrative burdens. That should not be a reason to ignore the problem. After all, in the meantime, those who have stuck to the rules are faced with unfair competition. In that light, the car dismantling companies and the shredders can benefit from improved registration.

Although less extensive, another important leakage flow has arisen in scrapping under own management. In relative terms, this problem can be more simply solved and for that reason, in consultation with the Dutch vehicle registration authority RDW, we have already made suggestions for measures to close this loophole. With just a few minor adjustments, considerable improvements could be achieved.

It goes without saying that these improvements will have to be enforced by government, but it remains a task for us all. All the parties who play a role must join forces to tackle unfair competition and undesirable burdening of the environment. We at ARN are willing and able to bring together and further assist the various parties.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that at the end of the day, the greatest benefit is to the (living) environment that we all share.

Together, we are responsible for the con­ tamination we produce. It is my belief that we should take up this responsibility through improved regulation and stricter monitoring. ir. Arie de Jong, CEO ARN

number 1 - summer 2011 95 summer 2011 - p03

RDW, LIV and AVc

we can only seal the leaks by working together

End-of-life vehicles deserve a second life. They are deregistered by the RDW (Dutch Vehicle Registration Authority), and via a whole series of links end up in a shredder. At least, in ideal circumstances.

text Jacco Hogeweg photography Maarten Corbijn, Hollandse Hoogte

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RDW, LIV and AVc

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RDW, LIV and AVc

In reality, many car wrecks leak out of the chain of environmentally-responsible processing.

Fortunately, ARN is not alone in its efforts to seal the leaks. The RDW, the Foundation for Tackling Vehicle Crime (AVc) and the National Information Centre Vehicle Crime (LIV) have joined forces with them in elaborating ideas to tackle the problem.

H

ow do you seal a leak? You inspect the situation on the ground and take out the right tools to plug the leak. For ARN that is more easily said than done. Take for example the scheme for scrapping under own management. In itself, for car-lovers, this scheme is a blessing, allowing them to build a fabulous new classic car from two old end-of-life vehicles. But what happens when own-managed dismantling takes place on an almost industrial scale? Are you then not simply in fact a wrecker that just like all other dismantling companies should comply with the (environmental) rules? ARN does not have the capability for checking out abuse of these regulations, nor the authority to do anything about it. In other words, inspecting and repairing the leak on the ground is not possible. Even if, for example, the leak occurs in the form of so-called ‘paper export’.

A car is deregistered with the RDW for export, but then remains in the Netherlands where it is illegally scrapped.

Each year car wrecks disappear from the screen in that way. How many are involved is purely guesswork, but indications from the market suggest that it is a problem that needs to be tackled. Hence the decision to join forces with other inspecting bodies from the mobility industry to tackle abuses in own-managed dismantling and export. After all, two sets of eyes are better than one.

raising the age of passenger cars for scrapping under own management? Or should we reduce the maximum to 2 vehicles per year in this scheme instead of 5? These and other proposals from ARN are not automatically approved

by De Wilde. “Of course we too would like to have scrapping regulated via RDW-approved businesses. But on the other hand, we also have a social function and have to avoid increasing the administrative burdens on citizens in the form of additional regulations.”

Dismantling under own management

Car crime

The recycling of an end-of-life car starts with the RDW. Deregistrations appear in the ORAD (online registration car dismantling) or OREH (online registration for export). “Last year, we registered some 270,000 vehicles for dismantling,” explained Marjan de Wilde, manager of the Vehicle Registration & Documents unit of the RDW in Veendam. “Only a small proportion of those were scrapped under own management. No matter how small the numbers are, ARN has identified this as a leakage flow, and has initiated discussions with us to plug the leak.”

Should we introduce tighter regulations, for example by

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Paper export

In dealing with paper exports, the RDW faces a perhaps even more persistent problem: this leakage flow is practically unstoppable. “The borders within the EU are open,” explained De Wilde. “It is difficult for us to check whether a vehicle is actually exported. The notification required from RDWs in other EU countries does not make the system watertight either. Firstly because some countries do not comply with that obligation and secondly because no indication of the country of destination is required in an export notification. This would not be feasible anyway, because the car trade simply moves too quickly. One day a car may be in Germany, the next in France or outside the EU, where there is no form of registration whatsoever.”

Where there is smoke there is fire. Is there not likely to be even more illegal activity where illegal car scrapping takes place? The answer is waiting for us elsewhere in the RDW offices in Veendam. Here we find the headquarters of the National Information Centre on Vehicle Crime (LIV), a collaborative venture between police, RDW and insurance companies. “We support investigative bodies in tackling car crime,” explained director Hendrik Steller. “Our work is demand-based. For example, if the police wants more information about a vehicle that was involved in a criminal activity or in the process of determining the identity of a vehicle.”

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RDW, LIV and AVc

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RDW, LIV and AVc

In 2009 and 2010, ARN investigated businesses that dismantled cars without any environmental license.

There were 157 illegally-operating companies of this kind of which 51 made 5 or more dismantling reports.

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RDW, LIV and AVc

Identity is important in illegal practices such as VIN switching. Steller explained how this works. “Imagine that one car is stolen while another is entirely burned out. You simply take on the identity of the burned-out car and continue to drive safely in the stolen car. The consequence for ARN is that one end-of-life car has disappeared.”

Differentiation

Guus Wesselink, director of the AVc, recognises the problem of VIN switching. “Our organisation brings police, insurers and RDW together at strategic level, and is provided with information about car crime from the LIV.” The AVc responds just like ARN to certain developments such as abuse of the scheme for dismantling under own management. “Current regulations offer criminals an ideal opportunity to convert a stolen car. We would like to see a differentiation made in the scheme between businesses and private individuals. Why should you allow a private individual to have 5 end-of-life vehicles on his premises? The fact that a transport company, for example, wishes to convert a number of vehicles could be of some commercial value.”

Marjan de Wilde is manager of the Vehicle Registration & Documents unit at the RDW Centre for Vehicle Technology & Information

Enforcement

Tightening up rules to limit leakage flows is just the first step. Wesselink went on to point out that enforcement is a complex task. “The Public Prosecution Service is not easily persuaded to take a look at a suspicious business. And when you establish a link between own-managed dismantling and the environment, the problem is that in each province there are only a handful of environmental enforcement officers.” Wesselink sees closer collaboration in the chain with ARN, the provinces and the tax authorities as a good alternative for tackling leakage flows and crime.

“ARN has taken the lead and cooperation is developing well, particularly in the eastern part of the Netherlands. The hope is that enforcement will also be improved. If we and the LIV watch out for crime, the tax authorities monitor fraud, the provinces supervise the environmental rules, RDW monitors registration and ARN keeps pointing out possible leakage flows, together we will make abuse more difficult.” t

Hendrik Steller is manager of the National Information Centre Car Crime (LIV)

Guus Wesselink is director of the Foundation for Tackling Vehicle Crime

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product information

Reducing an end-of-life vehicle to scrap in the Netherlands is only allowed in a shredder.

However, just a few kilometres across the border, the chopping of end-of-life vehicles is also permitted. The difference between the two processing methods is considerable.

text Ric van Kempen infographic Thijs Unger

L

et us be clear: operating a chopping system on your premises is not forbidden in the Netherlands. You are allowed to use it for any other type of scrap than end-of-life vehicles. However, according to the Management of End-of-Life Vehicles Decree introduced on 24 May 2002, crushing, chopping or otherwise mechanically reducing an end-oflife vehicle in such a way that the identity and content are no longer recognised is not permitted.

Shredding

Shredding consists of pulverising the end-of-life vehicle in a shredder.

A shredder is a rotor that can be as tall as a man, to which heavy hammers are attached, which are able to hinge freely at the end. In the sealed shredder p10 - 95 summer 2011

installation, this heavy rotor is slowly set in motion; powering the machine requires several thousand horsepower. Once at speed (approx.

500 rpm), the hammers swing due to centrifugal force. The end-of-life vehicle is pushed into the path of this destructive rotor, where the hammers pulverise the material. Because they are able to hinge freely, the hammers retract slightly only to swing back into position with additional force. The result is scrap and waste of a much smaller format, much of which is also beaten loose. During this initial treatment, the fine dust is extracted. The material is then placed on a conveyor at which point the light contaminants – such as textile and plastic – are removed. The iron is then separated from the non-ferrous metals and other forms of contamination using electromagnets. At the end of the process, a series of piles of

product information

p o h c p ing vs. metal scrap and shredder waste are left behind; all recognisable separated and immediately suitable for reuse as new material. The waste is disposed of for useful applications, and may even form the building blocks for new cars. This is a complex and costly method, but it does guarantee the best separation of the various materials while at the same time enabling the far-reaching (and compulsory) recycling of end-of-life vehicles.

Chopping

area, this chunk of metal is slowly forced through an opening where a tough blade slices off sections, like a guillotine. This product is passed on directly to the steelworks, with all the contaminants and different metal types it contains. The metal containing contaminants is not suitable for further processing, and is therefore forbidden in the Netherlands. A car processed in this way disappears from the recycling chain; a leakage flow is born. t

Chopping starts by crushing the end-of-life vehicle into a manageable shape. The car that was perhaps washed and polished lovingly hundreds of times is crushed in this process into a long lump of steel. The crushed car wreck bears no resemblance whatsoever to a car. From the crushing 95 summer 2011 - p11

Agentschap NL

Monitoring coordinator text Ric van Kempen illustration Myrthe Dornbos p12 - 95 summer 2011

Agentschap NL

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Agentschap NL

Whenever targets are formulated – such as 95% recycling – supervision is vital. As executive and controlling body, ARN plays important roles, but the coordination of monitoring is the task of Agentschap NL. There, too, the leakage flows are clearly identified.

B

ased on its role and responsibilities, ARN publishes an annual sustainability report on the mobility sector, where the organisation has been in charge of the recycling chains for the past 15 years. ARN also annually reports to the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment in the framework of the Management of Endof-Life Vehicles Decree. Its report to the Infrastructure and Environment Ministry is assessed and where necessary commented by Agentschap NL. As advisor/expert on waste management, Guus van den Berghe is the ideal person to further explain the phenomenon of leakage flows. However, he first explained the nature of the activities of Agentschap NL – part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. “Our role includes coordinating the monitoring of waste materials. We fulfil this role on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. The Netherlands is required to report to various bodies, including the European Commission. In the past, it would occur that different sources reported different figures. We have now altered the structure. We don’t do everything ourselves, but everyone reports to us so that everything is said with one clear voice.” Van den Berghe explained, “All we do is check whether the reports appear viable given the various other sources available to us.

We do not investigate the administration at ARN, but do report to the Ministry and the Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment Inspection on whether the figures appear accurate. It is then up to them whether to take further action involving, for example, ARN.”

Missing end-of-life vehicles

Of all end-of-life vehicles deregistered, 90% are dismantled via companies affiliated to ARN. “However,” explained Agentschap NL, “we do not see the remains of those full 90%. The shredder companies do not report back the same weight of those 90% as having been shredded.

Every year, ARN misses between 10,000 and 20,000 end-of-life vehicles. Those vehicles have been dismantled, p14 - 95 summer 2011

but did not end up in a shredder as a dismantled end-of-life vehicle. Between the dismantling companies and the final destination for the metals, there are a number of possible links. The majority of dismantled end-of-life vehicles are shredded in accordance with the rules. However, a proportion is chopped and traded internationally as scrap. Part of this scrap is then still shredded as mixed metals. In that case, the vehicle is no longer recognisable as an end-of-life vehicle and is therefore not ‘deregistered’ in that category. These, then, are the leakage flows that occur partly because metal dealers are not required to submit official notifications.

Post Shredder Technology

A car dismantling company removes a number of material flows from the end-of-life vehicle before passing it on to the shredder. These particularly consist of environmental endangering materials such as brake fluid and batteries, but also tires, glass and oil filters. The shredder grinds the dismantled end-of-life vehicle and separates a number of materials such as ferrous and non-ferrous while shredder waste remains. This shredder waste is passed on to the PST (Post Shredder Technology) installation such as the PST plant in Tiel described in detail in the previous issue of 95. The PST in turn separates the shredder waste so we can produce the highest possible proportion of recyclable materials, at the end of the day. A small proportion always remains that has to be incinerated. On the basis of the figures from the various parties, we attempt to establish a balance between outgoing and incoming materials that should ideally match. Because not all dismantled end-of-life vehicles can be monitored, this is a tough job.

The fact that a shredder also processes other forms of scrap does not make it any easier.

Green list

Agentschap NL also supervises international transport.

Van den Berghe explained, “For everything for which a permit is needed, transporters have to request permission. The problem is that you do not need permission to carry a dismantled car wreck. It has become a green-list item because effectively it is simply a collection of metals. Green means that it involves no environmental aspects that could hinder cross-border transport. It is perfectly possible for dismantled car wrecks to disappear abroad as trading goods, via the Dutch ports.”

Agentschap NL is a registering body that is required to report to Europe. However, it is of course not pleased with a leakage flow that escapes beyond its supervision.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment places the responsibility with ARN, an organisation that reports on behalf of the RAI Association.

Agentschap NL

The message is clear: reporting is compulsory on all dismantled end-of-life vehicles. Van den Berghe recognises that it is difficult to ensure a perfectly matching balance sheet for non-ARN companies, too. A (small) proportion of these companies operate different (standards) when it comes to the applicable laws and regulations.

“There are undoubtedly non-affiliated companies that do work just as correctly as ARN companies. But there are others that perform well below par. On the basis of the monthly waste reports to the LMA, ARN companies are compared with non-ARN companies. Non-affiliated companies often fail to register more than half of the number of different subflows that are generated by ARN companies. In particular when it comes to mate­ rials for which they have no sales channel themselves, no records are kept. They simply vanish to processors or companies that do something else with them. We are investigating whether this situation can be tackled.

However, Agentschap NL can do nothing more than pass on its observations. It is then up to the Ministry to do something about it.”

Highest yield

“It is possible that a car dismantling company gives its waste a different code because otherwise the shredder refuses to accept the material. The shredder may well say: ‘if you give the material such and such code, I can accept it …’. If the car dismantling company agrees, it may receive a higher yield. The shredder then determines which codes it applies to the resultant subflows. If the waste is delivered with a matching code, it is identified as an end-of-life car, is correctly registered and we make another step towards reducing the leakage flow. What interests us most is why companies find it necessary to not allocate the correct code. If we can work that out, we may well have a clearer picture of part of the leakage flow.” Agentschap NL demonstrates considerable understanding for the role played by ARN. By offering premiums and applying pressure to the players on the market, ARN must try to obtain the required information, but the organisation remains a critical observer on the side line. “Based on that role, ARN often knows all the ins and outs of the business.” t

Agentschap NL

Since the start of 2010, the EVD, the Netherlands Patent Centre and SenterNovem were brought together in the new Agentschap NL. This newly formed Agentschap NL is part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, but also works on behalf of the Ministries of Infrastructure and the Environment and Foreign Affairs, for example. By joining forces, we aim to provide better service through a combined focus, as reflected by the establishment of a joint customer counter and shorter procedures. Agentschap NL operates five theme-based divisions; NL Energy and Climate, NL EVD International, NL Innovation, NL Environment and Living Environment; NL Patent Centre. Agentschap NL is also active in monitoring and measuring the effects of policy implementation. In that role, it monitors the reports from ARN, the organisation responsible on behalf of the RAI Association for the life cycle of cars in the Netherlands.

Guus van den Berghe is advisor/expert on waste management of Agentschap NL

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in the picture photography Dreamstime

External influences can disrupt even a safe link.

This electricity pole is in perfect order, but here, too, it is the exception that requires attention.

p16 - 95 summer 2011

case study text Ric van Kempen photography Jack Tillmans infographic Thijs Unger

Case study:

Leakage flows Although one hundred percent recycling may be a utopia, the efforts of the sector are aimed at recycling as many end-of-life vehicles as possible, thereby generating the maximum yield.

Throughout the process of sale, dismantling, transport, sale, shredding and the separate supply of material flows, losses do of course occur.

Some of these are unavoidable, whereas others could be better controlled.

In this case study, we will be focusing on avoidable – and hence unwanted – leakage flows.

95 summer 2011 - p17

case study

Leakage flows result into environmental damage and unfair competition for those businesses that do operate correctly.

W

ithout exaggeration, we can justifiably claim that the recycling of cars from scrap to usable material is more effective in the Netherlands than anywhere else in Europe. We can certainly be viewed as valuable role models. This applies all the more since achieving this position has required huge efforts on the part of everyone involved, and similar efforts are still required on a daily basis. The results, however, have more than merely statistical value. They also have a direct and positive influence on the environment around us and in that sense are good for us all. Leakage flows – in other words the disappearance of vehicles and wrecks from the chain – are undesirable from several points of view, firstly in respect of environmental management – the unregistered end-of-life vehicles are often processed in a manner that generates extra environmental burdens – but also because the leakage flows sometimes represent attempts at tax evasion while at the end of the day, monitoring and records are never complete. The eventual results are environmental damage and unfair competition for those businesses that do operate correctly.

Where are the leaks?

The chain consists of innumerable stages, and a leakage flow can occur at several different points. To provide an indication of where leakages occur in the various phases, the entire process is reproduced in a diagram on pages 20 and 21. The diagram shows that the vast majority of vehicles – mainly passenger cars and light vans – reach their end in the traditional p18 - 95 summer 2011

manner. Every year, some 500,000 vehicles are deregistered at the RDW (Government Road Transport Agency) to be recycled or exported.

Exporting can prove financially attractive, because a car that will no longer find a buyer in our country may still prove a desirable object in Central Europe, Africa or elsewhere. In those countries, the costs of maintenance or repair are so low that technical service life wins from the economic lifecycle.

For about half of all deregistered cars (some 250,000 units a year) export means the start of a second life, but well out of our sight. These vehicles naturally fall beyond the scope of ARN’s responsibility. It should be added, however, that the import regulations in countries that until now have imported cars from the Netherlands are becoming ever stricter.

Import restrictions are now being introduced according to age or European environmental class, which make it increasingly difficult to dispose of older cars, elsewhere.

Export

However, the phenomenon ‘export’ also leads to undesirable leakage flows.

The first leak relates to vehicles earmarked for export, but that are not actually exported. The car simply remains in our country, because the ‘trade’ has earmarked it for some other purpose. That could be (illegal) scrapping, since legal scrapping operates its own deregistration system. It is also possible that parts of the car will serve as the basis for a vehicle with a different registration number. Whatever the case, vehicles that are registered for

case study

No uniform European rules An overview and understanding of leakage flows calls for attention to every stage in the process. Frank Heukeshoven, as an entrepreneur, has a direct interest in creating equal opportunities for all parties. At the same time, as chairman of the Metal Recycling Federation (MRF) he is somewhat cautious in his statements. I have only been chairman for a few months – having previously been vice chairman for several years –that is one of the reasons I prefer now to comment purely on the basis of our company’s vision.”

He has observed a certain degree of agreement between the individual shredders and ARN as the umbrella organisation. “Our interests are effectively parallel, certainly when it comes to leakage flows.

And at the end of the day it is all about enforcing the law. However, with a government looking to reduce regulations ever further, I am afraid there is little chance of achieving improved enforcement.”

“Effectively there are two problems; chopping and exporting across the borders, and chopping instead of sending to the shredder. In the first case, the end-of-life vehicle disappears over the border where chopped wrecks are accepted by shredders – at least to the best of my knowledge. Effectively, a foreign company accepting a chopped wreck is doing nothing wrong. The chopping of wrecks may be forbidden in the Netherlands, but is permitted in Belgium, for example.

And if a dealer can achieve a better price elsewhere …” It is clear that the absence of uniform European regulations is leading to an imbalance. “As entrepreneurs, a level playing field or equal opportunities also over the borders is something we would prefer. However, until the rules are in place, anyone accepting a chopped end-of-life vehicle elsewhere can offer a better price.”

export but that do not leave the country form the first and largest leakage flow. These practices are difficult to investigate because the vehicles are officially no longer in the Netherlands, and as a result are beyond the scope of the inspecting bodies. Signals from the market suggest that this is a problem that requires further investigation.

Different rules abroad

The responsibility of the car dismantling company is to ensure that the stripped end-of-life vehicle reaches a shredder, which separates the metal from the waste materials. That was the intention of the legislator. Practice reveals, however, that car wrecks still end up at choppers’ yards either via intermediaries or directly from the car dismantling company. The reason is obvious; a scrap car is worth more when sold to a chopper than to a shredder. Chopping is a cheaper process so the chopping yard will offer a higher price for the scrapped vehicle than the shredder. The shredder company after all has to earn back its higher investment. In addition, the waste materials are burned off in a metal smelting oven, and that represents a considerable environmental burden.

According to Dutch legislation, Dutch end-of-life cars are not allowed to be chopped. Dutch law states that

“The second problem is something that does take place within our national borders, but it also starts with chopping. Although not permitted by law, there are still companies that will chop up end-oflife vehicles, and probably (in)directly sell on the resultant scrap to a steel manufacturer. The chopped wreck is of far lower quality and full of contaminants but is still fed into the melting furnace, with all the resultant consequences for the environment in terms of emissions and waste. Clearly, violations of this kind are a thorn in the side of the shredder companies. Monitoring is not simple, because there are dozens of companies in the Netherlands with the capacity to chop metals. And indeed, the chopping of scrap metal is entirely legitimate – just not end-of-life vehicles. Shredders have been specifically designed to break up and separate products like end-oflife vehicles. A chopper is unable to separate.”

Having considered the overall process, Frank Heukeshoven drew a cautious conclusion. “There should in fact only be two possibilities for trading in end-of-life vehicles. The first is for a shredder company to do direct business with the car dismantling company. The second is the interim trade whereby end-of-life vehicles are collected from the car dismantling companies, and transported directly to the shredder. Traders who have specialised in transporting end-of-live vehicles have succeeded in acquiring a strong position on the market. They operate on a regional scale because transport itself is costly. This has had a positive effect on the number of transported kilometres. However, to truly eradicate the leakage flow in this sector, transport from car dismantling company to shredder needs to be certified, or use will have to be made of ‘approved traders.”

until the moment of destruction in a shredder, end-oflife vehicles must remain identifiable and checkable.

Different rules apply abroad for scrapped foreign cars; for example, in Belgium, end-of-life vehicles are allowed to be chopped. The chopping of end-of-life vehicles is forbidden in the Netherlands because the process results in a less effective separation of material flows. It leads to more contamination of the scrap which in turn has negative environmental effects. Abroad, chopping is permitted by law; there is a lack of uniformity on this aspect on a European scale.

Vehicles deregistered in ORAD (online registration for car dismantling) – on condition the compulsory materials have been removed (such as liquids, batteries and tyres) – may be exported abroad for metal processing.

This is not a leakage flow, because the vehicle is exported according to the rules, and processed abroad.

Frank Heukeshoven

Van Dalen Metals Recycling & Trading

Under own management

As well as scrapping by an approved car dismantling company, it is also possible to scrap a vehicle under own management. This scheme should be an exception, for example to make it possible to make one good car from the parts of two (for example classic) cars. Research by

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95 summer 2011 - p019

case study

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case study

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95 summer 2011 - p21

case study

ARN, however reveals that the numbers of cars scrapped under own management are rising disproportionally fast, and it is a flow of vehicles that is beyond the scope of inspection by the competent body.

This flow can still end at a shredder, but there is no longer any sound registration or monitoring. This is a second leakage flow, even though it is not known whether the scrapped vehicle simply ends up in a shredder, or is traded, chopped or dealt with in some other manner in the Netherlands or abroad. The numbers suggest that thousands of vehicles are now disappearing due to scrapping under own management and that as a result the legislator loses sight of approximately 6,000 vehicles (a line of 30 kilometres) a year and how they reach their end.

Non-affiliated

Because there is no obligation upon car dismantling companies to join ARN, about 15% of ORAD vehicles are in fact processed beyond the supervision of the ARN. There are 20 regional environmental services that monitor these car dismantling companies, but their findings are not a formal part of the reports ARN submits to central government. Based on its responsibility, ARN would like to be able to report on a larger proportion – in other words more than 85% - of end-of-life vehicles in the Netherlands. It is beyond doubt that a large proportion of these nonaffiliated companies do undertake correct dismantling and delivery to a shredder company. Specialist companies can for example only dismantle cars from a particular make, returning the parts removed to the market; and everything is still in line with the rules. In other words, non-affiliation p22 - 95 summer 2011

does not automatically mean disqualification of the car dismantling companies in question. However, it is not possible for ARN to provide the relevant figures, and they would be most welcome in this case.

Leakage flow between car dismantling company and shredder

A proportion of the officially-deregistered vehicles processed by companies affiliated to ARN still do not end up at the shredder. This may be for one of several reasons.

1. The vehicle may physically arrive at the shredder, but if during the process it has been issued with the incorrect code, it can no longer be administratively monitored. Upon disposal, end-of-life vehicles must be provided with an accompanying form with the correct Eural code.

This information is registered by the National Waste Notification Bureau. If the Eural code is not correctly entered upon disposal of endof-life vehicles, correct monitoring is not possible. The ARN companies therefore operate according to a system of premium payment. The car dismantling company receives a payment for the end-of-life vehicle only if that vehicle demonstrably arrives at the shredder (in other words with the correct accompanying codes).

2. The end-of-life vehicle may be offered to a chopping company either by the car dismantling company or a trader. Their reasons are then purely commercial; choppers offer more for the vehicle than shredders.

This is because chopping is a cheaper process involving fewer investments and operating costs.

case study

The enforcer “It is always a question of money,” explained Paul Tempelman when we talked to him about leakage flows or the unlawful processing and disposal of vehicles and end-of-life vehicles. As an environmental inspector in the Dutch province of Overijssel, he deals day to day with the processing of waste, scrap and end-of-life vehicles. “When it comes to car dismantling, the environmental scores are fair to good. The wreckers know that end-of-life vehicles have to be sent direct to the shredder and generally the process runs smoothly.

However, sometimes wreckers sell on to other breakers’ yards and an end-of-life vehicle can pass between three or four different sets of hands before being transported abroad and sold as scrap. In that situation you lose all track of what is going on.”

Tempelman knows that traders are above all guided by profit. If they can make more money via a different route then that alternative route becomes highly attractive, even if the car dismantling company is in fact required by law to pass on the end-of-life vehicle direct to the shredder, following dismantling. It is almost impossible to monitor movements of this kind, but it is a clear example of a

leakage flow as referred to in this issue of 95. Another leakage flow involves a garage ‘exporting’ a car without the vehicle actually ever moving. Tempelman explained, “This practice involves cars that are effectively ready for scrapping, but are registered for export. Instead of actually exporting these vehicles, they are dismantled step by step by removing all the parts that are still usable. This is a process that takes place entirely outside the law, and there is no certainty that the end-of-life vehicle will eventually end up in a shredder. It may well do, but there is no definite knowledge.”

Tempelman is not overly worried about the car recycling chain as a whole, but he does recognise that it is important that we put a stop to people scrapping cars for themselves. “According to the law, a car has to be 15 years old before it can be scrapped under own management, but that simply does not work in practice. It would perhaps be better to raise the age to 25 years.” One thing is certain: with a team of just 3 inspectors it is impossible to monitor every vehicle, so there is always room for improvement. Or in this case, room to reduce the leakage flow.

Paul Tempelman

Environmental Inspector Province of Overijssel

As already suggested, there are several reasons why the chopping of end-of-life vehicles is not permitted by Dutch law. In the chopping process, the metal is not separated from waste material still present in the vehicle. The chopped end-of-life vehicle is then mixed with other chopped steel and disappears into a smelting oven. In that process, all plastic, fibres and other materials are incinerated, while they could have been otherwise effectively recycled. As a result, the incineration process generates unwanted emission of flue gasses. Also when it comes to the quality of the steel, the less copper, the higher the quality. Chopped steel from end-oflife vehicles still contains relatively high levels of copper, which means that it either has to be mixed following smelting, or the copper has to be removed by hand picking.

Summary

For legislators, the mobility industry and for ARN, leakage flows are a point of attention, every day. The entire lifecycle of the new vehicle, involving environmentally-sound maintenance and eventually correctly implemented dismantling, contribute to responsible processing in the chain. Scrapping under own management has taken on a scale that suggests improper use of the scheme. ARN would recommend altering the legislation, in consultation with the sector organisation STIBA. ARN is unable to account for the end-of-life vehicles processed by car dismantling companies not affiliated to ARN; this does not automatically

mean these companies are acting incorrectly. ARN is striving to achieve a situation in which a larger proportion of end-of-life vehicles can be reliably reported on, via controlled systems. Although the car dismantling companies are in fact responsible for submitting their vehicles to the shredder, practice reveals that this does not always happen. Deliberately or otherwise, these vehicles fall beyond the scope of a fully matched monitoring system. The ‘disappearance’ of end-of-life vehicles between the car demolition companies and shredders leads to environmental damage and unfair competition for businesses that do stick to the rules.

Future

ARN will continue to carefully monitor and supervise all leakage flows. It is ARN’s task to continue to fulfil its assignment based on producer responsibility, in an efficient and environmentally-sound manner.

Preventing environmental damage and unfair competition in the interests of the businesses that do operate according to the rules is an important driving force. Whenever abuses are identified, ARN will consult with the duly competent body to first analyse the problem and to then arrive at sound, workable solutions, together with these bodies. Here, too, an integrated approach from the various government authorities offers the most effective solution. t

95 summer 2011 - p23

case study

The risk for the tax office Environmental aspects are the key elements in tackling leakage flows but there are other angles of approach to the unlawful practices. For example tax avoidance. A meeting with the Tax and Customs Administration reveals that they have a clear idea of this ‘unclear trade’.

The aim of the tax authorities is correct tax collection, and the organisation feels responsible for maintaining fair competition, as revealed in our interview. With that in mind, the National Car Coordination Centre has been set up, with its head office in Doetinchem. Monique Blom is Account Manager Horizontal Supervision, and she guided us through the jungle of rules, measures and loopholes in the system facing the Tax and Customs Administration. This information is not always without risk for those involved; after all, anyone deliberately wishing to avoid taxation views the tax authorities as an enemy to be fought by all possible means. This situation means confidentiality was demanded of us, and we of course honoured that request. The National Car Coordination Centre aims to ensure Horizontal Supervision. In other words, the sharing of all available information between all players with a view to obtaining the clearest possible picture of non-conformities, abuses and uncertainties. Monique Blom explained, “We all work together in the Sector Team Car Dismantling. Headed up by the provinces, this team brings together a range of enforcers and the sector organisation. As well as the provinces themselves, the team members are such parties as RDW, ARN, Stiba, LIV, Environmental services and the Tax and Customs Administration. Together we chose the spearheads for 2011.”

p24 - 95 summer 2011

In duplicate

The Tax and Customs Administration separates the objects – the vehicles themselves – from the subjects – the people involved. There are four groups of objects that are deregistered. (1) For technical or (2) economical ageing, but there may be also be (3) early deregistration for example if the car has become irreparably damaged following an accident. All these groups are earmarked as cars for dismantling.

There is however a final group (4) that is earmarked for dismantling via RDW, but eventually is not dismantled. Those cars are not scrapped, after all. You may think you have a clear picture of 90% of the vehicles, but it is important first to determine whether the proportion of vehicles that you assume has been dismantled has indeed been scrapped. The difference may then be greater than it seems, for example because a car is exported from the Netherlands to another country. Cars sometimes disappear from the Dutch (registration) circuit, or return via an illegal circuit. They are then put back on the Dutch roads. That happens for example when cars are cloned, leading to a ‘duplicate car’. (A duplicate car is a vehicle that is no longer registered according to the rules of law, but continues to drive on a false number plate and possibly other falsified details, ed.)

case study

Tax and Customs Administration - National Car Coordination Centre

Another thing that happens is that two cars may be combined. For example a chassis that is still in good order, into which a new engine is installed. This can be done officially, but is sometimes also carried out less correctly. A car deregistered with the RDW for scrapping may then not end up at the shredder. Either it travels abroad, continues driving in the Netherlands as a duplicate car or it is chopped. All these aspects are monitored by the Tax and Customs Administration.

The question is: what is the risk to the tax authorities? Because in each of these cases, there is a risk. The decision then has to be made on the focus of the enforcement efforts. When it comes to these leakage flows and how to deal with them, the Tax and Customs Administration always collaborates with the parties referred to above. The Tax and Customs Administration above all looks at the group of operators who do not cooperate with the official bodies.

They do not stick to the rules, they invest less and they disrupt the market. The Tax and Customs Administration feels responsible for dealing with those operators.

Export and import

Because tax evasion and car crime do not stop at the border, international cooperation is essential. Work is already underway on establishing new European agreements on these issues. After all, the movements of cars, end-of-life cars and materials are all unclear, and can make enforcement and monitoring particularly difficult, as revealed by another example discussed during our time with the tax authorities. The tax office also deals with non-registered vehicles, imported for example via the Dutch ports. Vehicles arriving via this route – without registration – can subsequently be dismantled.

These cars do count in the ARN figures, and represent no leakage.

However, due to the additional supply of cars and end-of-life cars, the balance between end-of-life cars offered, and those processed by

the shredder can be influenced. There is still considerable uncertainty in this area, but it is not inconceivable that an imported wreck is exchanged for another, for which a lucrative use is found. The Tax and Customs Administration is cautious in drawing conclusions, but is closely monitoring these developments. “As the Tax and Customs Administration, it is something we have to be involved in, because there is a trade in parts. How important is it? We are aware of market parties who trade exclusively in these products, in particular the parts. There is where the two markets come together.”

Registration

The solution to the majority of problems relating to leakage flows appears to be better registration, not only of vehicles but also of the wrecks and material flows emerging from dismantling. The risk is known as ‘mixing’. The better the materials are marked, the more difficult it is to mix them. An accountant offered a ‘mathematical’ solution. “We are increasingly using counter details. A large brewer can precisely trace every barrel of beer, from its production to the moment it is drunk.

That is something we need to achieve too. We are already using counter details. Where necessary, we can retrieve even further details, for example by comparing the vehicle tax figures (BPM) with the tax returns. If we consistently continue comparing the details, it should be possible to further plug the leak. This calls for special certified software, but there are always some companies that prefer to work with their own software, without the official seal. In those cases, you cannot be sure that nothing is lost in the system, deliberately or otherwise …”

Whatever the case, the tax authorities are doing everything possible to plug the leakage flows, in collaboration with ARN and other market parties. No one expects the system to be one hundred percent watertight, but the importance of ‘the car’ in our tax system is clear. Each year, it is worth 28 billion to the treasury! t

95 summer 2011 - p25

in the picture photography Dreamstime

The beauty of the old and unmistakable marks of the passage of time make this fence a truly photogenic object.

The rough cast iron from which it was made must be at least one hundred years old, if not more. At the time, the demands placed on this raw material were not particularly high, as reflected by the fact that in certain places the rust has taken more hold than in others. Modern steel is required to meet detailed standards in terms of values and composition. Supplying the cleanest possible metal to the smelting oven has two major advantages; you do not incinerate materials that could still be recycled, and the quality of the metal is improved. Scrap containing large amounts of copper is not suitable for producing rollable steel. It is possible though to make it into cast iron, which our forefathers were able to convert into attractive objects.

p26 - 95 summer 2011

column

Environmental impact M

etal prices have a strong influence on the success of car recycling. At low metal prices, it is attractive to process an end-of-life vehicle by the rules. But when metal prices rise, it becomes more profitable to consider the scrap car as just a collection of used metals, and dispose of it outside the official route.

Such a choice is illegal, as ARN pointed out in a press release on the subject in May this year. But is it not in fact what we want?

Why should it make any difference who undertakes the recycling, and how? Isn’t it a good sign if end-oflife vehicles are sold for their material value? It means that recycling has become part of a healthy free market, a situation that encourages businesses in the chain to become more creative and competitive, and in that way allows innovation to move faster. Or is there perhaps a downside?

Yes, there certainly is. It is important to keep in sight what we aim to achieve. From the point of view of sustainable economic development, we want to reduce the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of all consumer goods, and wherever possible even convert them into a positive contribution to our living environment. However, materials have different environmental effects –a small fraction that is not recycled can, in absolute terms, have a greater environmental impact than a larger fraction that is

recycled. In other words, it is not enough to focus exclusively on those materials that happen to be more valuable at a given moment; there must sufficient supervision and monitoring of the environmental effects of all types of material in our economy.

After all, a contaminating material does not by definition have a higher market value than a material with a limited environmental impact. Generally speaking, the opposite is the case. For that reason, external control will always be needed to keep the economically unattractive materials in the cycle, and hence restrict their environmental effects. The question is whether RDW/ORAD registration is a good control mechanism to achieve that goal.

Cars will always continue to exist in many different shapes and sizes, and with the rapid developments in the field of propulsion technology, that diversity is set to increase. It is therefore vital that the relevant composition of the vehicle be included far more precisely in the registration, and that the withholding of registered materials from the cycle be viewed as environmental crime. Coming up with an effective and workable system for that situation represents a fabulous challenge for designers, lawyers and economists alike.

Gijsbert Korevaar is Director of Education of the MSc programme Industrial Ecology at Delft University of Technology and Leiden University.

Gijsbert Korevaar 95 summer 2011 - p27

Interim trade

“You can earn a decent living while respecting the environment and the shredders” – Gabriël van Seumeren, Prometaal

Interim trade

An essential link p28 - 95 summer 2011

Interim trade text Jacco Hogeweg photography Marco Peters

Nowhere is the recycling of end-of-life vehicles so effective as in the Netherlands. Interim traders are an important link in this process. They collect end-of-life vehicles from the car dismantling companies and deliver them to shredders. But there is always room for a leak. To seal that leak, the recently amended Activities Decree makes interim storage more difficult. How do the traders and ARN partners Prometaal and Overdie view leakage flows in their sector?

‘The men of steel at your service’.

With this slogan, Prometaal based in Maarssen has been presenting its services since 1993. The company specialises in recycling and the trade in scrap metal and metal waste such as aluminium, copper, lead and zinc. Business is booming. In 2007, Prometaal moved into completely renovated premises by the local Westkanaaldijk, a move financed not purely from the scrap trade. “One specialist element of our business is the transport of end-of-life vehicles ready for the shredder,” explained Gabriël van Seumeren, director and owner of Prometaal. “My father started the trade. The important thing is to have a vehicle available capable of carrying the largest possible number of end-of-life cars. We developed a carrier ourselves that is capable of transporting 24 wrecked cars in one trip – the maximum number permitted by law.”

According to Van Seumeren, the designation ‘men of steel’ certainly applies to his drivers. “They are true professionals, who speak the language of the car breaker; an important skill, since our aim is to form the link between the small car dismantling companies and the large shredders. We offer tailor-made service to both parties. If they do business with us, they can be sure of the tightlyplanned disposal and delivery of end-of-life vehicles.”

just because they offer a higher price. And there is certainly no reason to do businesses with a chopper – quite apart from the fact that any such business would be illegal, anyway. You can earn a good living while respecting the environment and the shredders.” And you don’t even need to store the vehicles, emphasised van Seumeren. “Stock piling and speculation on future price rises is no way to make money.”

Regional

Activities Decree

Trading and transporting some 200 to 250 wrecks a day, Prometaal is one of the largest national traders. “However, we will never move away from our regional business,” explained Van Seumeren, with conviction. “The network of shredders in the Netherlands covers the country well, and I make use of that fact by only supplying the nearest shredder. There is no future for me in selling endof-life vehicles to another shredder at home or abroad,

Barcode

Sound recycling is close to Van Seumeren’s heart. It is not without reason that he is vice chairman of the Dutch Metal Recycling Federation (MRF). “Of course it bothers me that end-of-life vehicles disappear between car dismantling and shredding. I am a vociferous proponent of a barcode system, like the one introduced several years ago by ARN. Dismantling companies applied a barcode to each vehicle, that the shredder could read out using a laser. That method made the end-of-life vehicles checkable and identifiable, prior to processing.” According to Van Seumeren, the barcode system should quickly be reintroduced. “If environmental protection officers then also check up on the chopping of car wrecks, and if we successfully monitor imports and exports of metal waste, the whole cycle can be made watertight.”

The government, however, has other plans for plugging the leakage flows in the scrap trade. By revising the Activities Decree, they have imposed stricter rules on the interim storage of end-of-life vehicles. “A strange move,” considered Van Seumeren. “The interim trade on the whole sticks perfectly to the rules. We are a major contributor to recycling, in an economically viable manner.

That is something we have proven over the last years.” u

More and more businesses are subject to the Activities Decree. But what are the consequences?

Go to http://www. rijksoverheid.nl/ onderwerpen and read for example about which activities do or do not require a permit.

95 summer 2011 - p29

Interim trade

“Such as development would mean that regulation of the market in fast increases the level of leakage flows” – Dick de Jong, Overdie p30 - 95 summer 2011

Interim trade

Dick de Jong is director-shareholder in the company Overdie, together with his brothers Cees and Jaap. “Just a couple more years and we will earn the title Royal. We will celebrate our one-hundredth anniversary. We are a real family business, established in 1917. We have two recycling companies in ferrous and non-ferrous metals and a steel business, based at four locations in Alkmaar and Zaandam. We also recently launched the joint venture Liquisort, in which we employ highly innovative technology for separating the tiniest particles of iron, non-ferrous metals and plastics.” Together with Prometaal, Overdie is responsible for 80 percent of the interim trade in end-of-life vehicles. However, the business of the De Jong brothers differs slightly from the processes employed by their colleagues in Maarssen.

Overdie, for example, does have a storage location for end-of-life vehicles. And a second difference: Overdie also does business with shredders abroad. “They offer a better deal than the shredders in the Netherlands,” explained De Jong. “That is the advantage of a single Europe: free movement of trade goods.”

Free market operation

Dick de Jong, like Van Seumeren, is a board member of the sector association MRF. He too wants to optimise the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. And that can also be achieved perfectly with partners abroad. “The companies we do business with are all shredders monitored by government bodies. They too are required to recycle, and report on their recycling percentages.” Overdie itself also accurately registers the waste flows. “Registration is of course a good thing,” suggested De Jong. “But it could mean that ARN-certified shredders decide to reach price agreements. And that would mean that the

prices per kilogram for end-of-life vehicles would fall.

For interim traders, that would be a clear disadvantage.

In an attempt to achieve at least a small profit, above all the smaller operators could be encouraged to mix endof-life vehicles with cheap scrap material. Such a development would mean that regulation of the market in fact increases the level of leakage flows.”

Interim storage

Speaking of regulation; De Jong showed us the recently revised Activities Decree. It will do more harm than good, he suggested, with concern. “By eradicating interim storage, you will encourage the chopping of end-of-life vehicles. The smaller collectors will simply chop the individual end-of-life vehicles offered to them straight away, to avoid violating the Activities Decree rules. After all, they are not allowed to store the vehicles any longer. Only once they have a full load will it be passed on to an ARN-certified shredder.”

Enforcement

Since as early as 1920, we have been recycling metal in an organised manner, in the Netherlands.

Since 1990, the task has been the responsibility of the sector organisation Metal Recycling Federation (MRF).

The MRF represents the interests of some 160 member companies, including both Prometaal and Overdie. Surf to www.mrf.nl for more information.

Instead of regulation, De Jong would prefer to see more enforcement and education. “There are only a handful of shredders in the Netherlands. Check more carefully what happens there, and go public about the results of inspections into chopped end-of-life vehicles.

It beggars belief that shredders certified by ARN still accept chopped end-of-life vehicles offered by the traders.” According to De Jong, it is also important that ARN more clearly points out to their business relations, the car dismantling companies, what their responsibilities are. “That is the way to prevent end-oflife vehicles being lost from view. On top of that, you can enter into agreements with the traders to guarantee that wrecks are recycled.” t 95 summer 2011 - p31

different sector

p32 - 95 summer 2011

different sector text Jacco Hogeweg photography Stockimages Wecycle

Wecycle: together we can recycle The automotive sector is hard at work restricting leakage flows as much as possible. But how is the struggle in another similar sector?

“In 2010, we collected 27 percent more used appliances and lighting systems than the year before. Nonetheless, between 10 and 18 kg per person still escaped our attention,” said Jan Vlak, director of Wecycle, the organi­ sation responsible for organising the collection and recycling of elec­trical appliances and energy-efficient light bulbs.

F

igures sometimes say more than a thousand words. Jan Vlak, director of Wecycle, is fond of using figures to open people’s eyes. “Did you know that the average household in the Netherlands is home to 60 appliances. Of those, each of us throws 18.5 kg out, every year. Only a small proportion is correctly recycled, about 8 kg. The rest is taken up by the scrap metal trade, in waste containers or disappears completely from view.”

CO2 reduction

Vlak’s message is clear. We are careless when it comes to end-of-life electrical appliances and energy-efficient lighting, so-called e-waste.

“Responsible recycling means that we protect the environment and win back raw materials. At the same time, however, we also prevent illegal exports to developing countries where harmful substances are simply dumped. And then there is CO2 reduction. By recycling and rendering harmless CFCs from refrigerators and freezers, in 2010, we achieved a saving of 490 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. That is comparable to the CO2 emission of 170,000 cars each driving 15,000 kilometres.”

Manufacturers and importers

If it is up to Vlak, savings will rise even further in 2011. Since 1990, his organisation has played a key role in the process. The NVMP (The Dutch Foundation for the Disposal of Metal Electrical Products) launched in that year is now operating under a new name: Wecycle, broadly published in communication campaigns and collection programmes. “Wecycle better expresses our aims,” suggested Vlak. “Recycling is something we need to do together. On behalf of manufacturers and importers, we collect e-waste and organise its recycling, on the basis of a European Directive that requires us to collect 4 kg of waste per inhabitant. Thanks to close cooperation with our partners, we easily achieve that target.”

Partners

Who are the partners of Wecycle? “They include municipalities, the retail trade, second-hand shops, educational institutions, clubs and associations,” explained Vlak. “Thanks to them we have a national network comprising almost 9,000 collection points where consumers can hand in their electrical appliances and energy-efficient light bulbs.” It is then up to the regional sorting companies to separate refrigerators/ freezers, large household appliances, televisions, professional equipment and energy-efficient lighting. “That also includes ICT equipment, because that is work we also carry out on behalf of the Stichting ICT~Milieu (Environmental ICT Foundation). Following sorting, the equipment is passed on to highly-qualified recycling companies, of which there are 14 in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.”

Upward trend

The focus at Wecycle is above all on collection. The more kilograms the better. And things are moving in the right direction, explained Vlak.

95 summer 2011 - p33

u

different sector

“In 2010 we collected 106,000 tonnes, an increase of 27 percent as compared to 2009. During the first three months of this year, the upward trend has continued. We have already collected 10 percent more than in the same period last year.” Vlak knows the causes of this success.

“Consumers are becoming more aware of their responsibility. Appliances and lighting are not thrown away but they are handed in. TV commercials and collection campaigns regularly draw these facts to people’s attention. We have even developed a collection box for use at home, the Jekko, with separate compartments for small electrical appliances, energy-efficient light bulbs and batteries.”

Municipalities, retail and schools

Jan Vlak

Director of Wecycle

Over the past few years, Wecycle has achieved its greatest successes at municipal environmental recycling lines and in the retail sector. Here, collection has expanded explosively. Vlak went on, “Since 2009 we have been working for municipalities according to very simple contracts.

We give them 81 euros for every tonne of e-waste we collect from them. Practically all municipalities in the country have now signed such a contract with us.

Another field in which Wecycle is constantly improving its score is the retail sector. “We ask shopkeepers to collect end-of-life appliances and broken energy-efficient light bulbs free of charge, whenever a consumer buys a similar product from them. The costs incurred by the shop are reimbursed by Wecycle. This turned out to be the recipe for success in 2010: the volume collected rose by 135 percent in retail outlets.” Vlak’s final comments were saved for education. “We collect small end-of-life appliances from hundreds of schools. At the start of 2010 our network comprised 800 institutions, a number that has now risen to 1,500. The advantage of this collaboration is not only the collection. It also helps teach children that old electrical appliances do not belong in the waste bin. We pass on this message via special teaching programmes. The playful element is that for each appliance handed in, the schools can save points, which they can then spend in our web store to purchase books and other materials.”

Measurement

“The disposal charge is to be scrapped in 2013 and there is no clear idea of what will replace it”

p34 - 95 summer 2011

Of course, however, there is another side to the coin.

Every year, 10.5 kg of appliances per person still do not end up in the recycling chain. What does Vlak intend to do about these leakage flows? “A large proportion of end-of-life appliances end up at scrap­yards; about 4 kg per person per year. We have no illusions about taking over that trade. We do however intend to better chart out the waste flows at scrapyards and in general. This year we started a major investigation and we hope to present the results at the start of 2012.

It should then become clear how we can intervene to

further improve the collection process. After all, measurement is knowledge.”

Benchmark

Collection itself can be improved, too. “For example at municipalities,” explained Vlak. “In April we completed a benchmark test that revealed that on average municipalities collect 5.4 kg per person per year; 140 municipalities are below that level, while 25 percent achieve 8 kg or more.” The differences are considerable. But why? Vlak continued, “We discovered that municipalities with a diftar (differentiated tariff for waste collection) system perform better. For us, that is important information. If municipalities are in search of methods for improving their score, we are pleased to help them. We have for example established a fund to finance collection pilot schemes.”

EU Directive

New understandings, for example generated from pilot projects, are urgently needed, even if only to comply with the new, stricter requirements from Brussels. The EU has determined that by 2016, the Netherlands must be collecting 200,000 tonnes of e-waste a year – almost twice as much as we currently collect. Howe else does Vlak intend to seal the leaks in the recycling chain? “One useful aid would be a legal requirement for municipalities or retailers to hand in items. I would also like to see an export ban on second-hand equipment for which there is no further market, for example used CRT televisions and monitor screens.

Under the guise of export, these items with no value at all are simply dumped in developing countries.” The proportion of e-waste that follows the prescribed path is carefully monitored by Wecycle. “From collection and sorting right through to processing of the appliances and light bulbs, we know very precisely what the volumes, weights and recycling percentages are,” explained Vlak. “After all, we are required to report this information to the government. I am however convinced that the scrap trade should also be included in the system. I am not saying they should transfer their trading activities to us. They should however be required to register the appliances they process.”

Disposal charge

Vlak kept the greatest challenge for the future until last: the question of financing. “Responsible recycling costs money. In 2010, the process cost 30 million euros. We charge these costs on to the manufacturers and importers, who then include those charges in the price of their products. Until the start of this year, the collection and recycling was financed via the disposal charge. This was a clear charge levied with every new purchase that also drew the consumer’s attention to the importance of recycling. The disposal charge itself is to be scrapped by 2013, and there is no clear idea of what will replace it.”

different sector

On average, every Dutch household has some 60 electrical appliances. What kinds of appliances are they and when are they thrown out? Download the study into these questions by GfK Panel Services Benelux from www.wecycle.nl/mediatheek.

On behalf of Wecycle, Witteveen+ Bos investigated the flows of e-waste that are not collected and recycled. Check out the results on www.wecycle.nl/mediatheek.

95 summer 2011 - p35

NEws, Media, Gadgets

Al Gore

keeping on Following his impressive documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’, the former American vice president and environmental activist Al Gore has released his latest brainchild: the interactive magazine ‘Our Choice’ for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The magazine discusses the relationship between the environment and the economy, different forms of ‘clean’ energy and looks both backwards and forwards. The magazine features 250 photographs, fifty minutes of documentary material and thirty graphs and tables. The magazine can be downloaded as an app via the Apple App Store for just € 3.99.

PST-plant expanded Shortly after the spectacular opening of the PST plant on 28 April last, Module C has now been expanded. This module processes the fibre fraction from module A. The fibre fraction consists of a whole range of fibres, both natural and man-made from for example seat coverings, coconut mats, foam (seat fillings), plastic film, etc. The module is also capable of agglomerating the fibres, in other words by adding heat, creating a more compact fibre type. When heat is applied, the fibres curl up, thereby occupying less space.

Play at scrap dealing For anyone who always wanted to become a scrap dealer, or anyone who after working at the scrapyard wants to carry on playing with scrap metal, a new game has just been released: The Junk Yard. The aim of the game is to stack as many car wrecks as possible neatly on top of one another, and crush them in a press within a set time limit. The game is available via the site www.spellensite.nl.

Collaboration between ARN and RDW

The advent of electrical cars and hybrids is calling for a more specific approach in terms of registration and deregistration. As well as the standard details, when registering an electrical vehicle, it is now also necessary to record the type of battery fitted in the car. The RDW is collaborating with ARN on a procedure aimed at more efficiently providing dismantling companies with this information. This will help the dismantling companies process the vehicles safely and in the correct manner.

p36 - 95 summer 2011

News, Media, Gadgets

De Kleine Gids Recycling ‘De Kleine Gids Recycling’ (The Small Recycling Guide) is a handy and informative reference work for professionals, and anyone else interested inside or outside the world of recycling.

The booklet, with less than 100 pages, deals in a clear and understandable manner with the techniques and machines used in the recycling industry. It also offers an overview of the methods according to which numerous materials and products are recycled.

De Kleine Gids Recycling 2011 By: ir. J.H. Welink Publisher: Wolters Kluwer Business ISBN: 978-9013076752 Price: € 15

Activities Decree Anyone wishing to take a closer look at the rules and regulations will find this reference publication from Kluwer particularly handy. It is a useful format, just 118 pages thick, but nonetheless provides an answer to (practically) any question relating to the Activities Decree.

Vraagbaak Activiteitenbesluit 2011 By: G.J. Wyfker Publisher: Kluwer ISBN: 978-9013073492 Price: € 26.50

text Klaas-Aart Kok / Ric van Kempen

Management, recycling and reuse of waste composites Anyone looking for in-depth information about recycling, eventually will have to start reading publications in other languages, including English. Take for example Management, recycling and reuse of waste composites by V. Goodship. This 500page book provides a comprehensive overview of the management, recycling and reuse of residual materials. It also describes the systems used for these processes and offers the reader a look at the future. It is tough going for a lay reader, but contains essential information for professionals.

The same applies to the price; more than 200 euro.

Management, recycling and reuse of waste composites By: V. Goodship Publisher: Woodhead Publishing Limited ISBN: 978-1845694623 Price: > € 200 (via Amazon.co.uk)

The Power of Recycling In the world of waste processing, the Ladder of Lansink is a household name.

For anyone wishing to find out more about the waste problem, ‘De Kracht van de Kringloop’ (The power of Recycling) is highly recommended. The book was written

by Ad Lansink – indeed, the man with the Ladder and former M.P. – and Hannet de Vries-in ‘t Veld. De Vries is director of recycling company VAR. In this book, the authors offer an interesting insight into waste policy and management over the coming years, focusing on the long road from waste to raw material.

De Kracht van de Kringloop Subtitle: Geschiedenis en toekomst van de ladder van Lansink By: Hannet de Vries-in ‘t Veld and Ad Lansink Publisher: VRILAN Apeldoorn/Nijmegen ISBN: 978-9089470638 Price: € 29.95 (via info@var.nl)

95 summer 2011 - p37

95 short

We can only seal the leaks by working together

4

Take for example the scheme for scrapping under own management. In itself, for car-lovers, this scheme is a blessing, allowing them to build a fabulous new classic car from two old end-of-life vehicles. But what happens when own-managed dismantling takes place on an almost industrial scale? Are you then not simply in fact a wrecker that just like all other dismantling companies should comply with the (environmental) rules? ARN does not have the capability for checking out abuse of these regulations, nor the authority to do anything about it. In other words, inspecting and repairing the leak on the ground is not possible. Even if, for example, the leak occurs in the form of so-called ‘paper export’. A car is deregistered with the RDW for export, but then remains in the Netherlands where it is illegally scrapped. Each year car wrecks disappear from the screen in that way.

Case study: leakage flows

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Without exaggeration, we can justifiably claim that the recycling of cars from scrap to usable material is more effective in the Netherlands than anywhere else in Europe. We can certainly be viewed as valuable role models. This applies all the more since achieving this position has required huge efforts on the part of everyone involved, and similar efforts are still required on a daily basis. The results, however, have more than merely statistical value. They also have a direct and positive influence on the environment around us and in that sense are good for us all. Leakage flows – in other words the disappearance of vehicles and wrecks from the chain – are undesirable from several points of view.

p38 - 95 summer 2011

Shredding vs. chopping

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The iron is then separated from the non-ferrous metals and other forms of contamination using electromagnets. At the end of the process, a series of piles of metal scrap and shredder waste are left behind; all recognisable separated and immediately suitable for reuse as new material. The waste is disposed of for useful applications, and may even form the building blocks for new cars. This is a complex and costly method, but it does guarantee the best separation of the various materials while at the same time enabling the far-reaching (and compulsory) recycling of end-of-life vehicles.

Interim trade: An essential link

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Sound recycling is close to Van Seumeren’s heart. It is not without reason that he is vice chairman of the Dutch Metal Recycling Federation (MRF). “Of course it bothers me that end-of-life vehicles disappear between car dismantling and shredding. I am a vociferous proponent of a barcode system, like the one introduced several years ago by ARN. Dismantling companies applied a barcode to each vehicle, that the shredder could read out using a laser. That method made the end-of-life vehicles checkable and identifiable, prior to processing.” According to Van Seumeren, the barcode system should quickly be reintroduced.

95 SHORT

credits

Monitoring coordinator

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Of all end-of-life vehicles deregistered, 90% are dismantled via companies affiliated to ARN. “However,” explained Agentschap NL, “we do not see the remains of those full 90%. The shredder companies do not report back the same weight of those 90% as having been shredded.

Every year, ARN misses between 10,000 and 20,000 end-of-life vehicles. Those vehicles have been dismantled, but did not end up in a shredder as a dismantled end-of-life vehicle. Between the dismantling companies and the final destination for the metals, there are a number of possible links. The majority of dismantled end-of-life vehicles are shredded in accordance with the rules. However, a proportion is chopped and traded internationally as scrap. Part of this scrap is then still shredded as mixed metals.

In that case, the vehicle is no longer recognisable as an end-of-life vehicle and is therefore not ‘deregistered’ in that category.

ARN is the Dutch centre of expertise for recycling in the mobility sector. It has managed the recycling chains in this sector for fifteen years. ARN has grown into a centre of expertise in the field of recycling, chain management and knowledge exchange. ARN uses its expertise to advise companies and public authorities – in the Netherlands and abroad – on a variety of issues relating to sustainability.

95 is a magazine for business relations of ARN and appears twice a year, with a circulation of 9,250 (8,750 Dutch and 500 English).

Publisher ARN P. O. Box 12252 1100 AG Amsterdam de Entree 258 1101 EE Amsterdam telephone +31 (0)20 66 131 81 info@arn.nl www.arn.nl Design and production Móbile Albrechtlaan 9 1404 AH Bussum telephone +31 (0)35 609 80 00 info@mobile-pr.nl www.mobile-pr.nl Editorial board ARN Arie de Jong, Janet Kes, Aarnout van Duuren, Femke Jacobs, Rob van der Linden Editors Jacco Hogeweg, Ric van Kempen, Janet Kes (ARN), Klaas-Aart Kok, Gijsbert Korevaar Project management Viona Nieuwenhuis Art direction Michel Giezen Photographs, infographics and illustrations Maarten Corbijn (Corb!no), Myrthe Dornbos (Alamitti), Marco Peters (fotograaf.nl), Jack Tillmans, Thijs Unger (vof Unger-Kisman), Dreamstime, Hollandse Hoogte, Images Courtesy of associated organizations

Wecycle: together we can recycle

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If it is up to Vlak, savings will rise even further in 2011. Since 1990, his organisation has played a key role in the process. The NVMP (The Dutch Foundation for the Disposal of Metal Electrical Products) launched in that year is now operating under a new name: Wecycle, broadly published in communication campaigns and collection programmes.

“Wecycle better expresses our aims,” suggested Vlak. “Recycling is something we need to do together. On behalf of manufacturers and importers, we collect e-waste and organise its recycling, on the basis of a European Directive that requires us to collect 4 kg of waste per inhabitant. Thanks to close cooperation with our partners, we easily achieve that target.”

Printing Klomp Grafische Communicatie, Amersfoort Translation English issue sbv anderetaal, Noordeloos © Móbile, Bussum 2011 No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher and editors. All the information in this magazine has been compiled with the greatest possible care.

The parties concerned are not responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions, of any nature whatever, that may nevertheless appear. The user cannot derive any rights from the information provided in this magazine.

95 summer 2011 - p39

Uncertain lifecycle photography Hollandse Hoogte

The very first cars had an uncertain lifecycle; they were repaired until nothing more could be done.

What eventually happened to these end-of-life vehicles was – quite literally – a problem for later.

In the black and white age, car manufacturers had iron ore brought to them; Henry Ford, for example demanded that all his factories had to be located by water, so the raw material could be directly unloaded at the factory site. The Ford factory in Amsterdam was indeed built alongside the North Sea Canal. The recycling of cars and the reuse of old materials, let alone the difficulties facing these processes, were entirely unknown.