A new step in recycling

Renault plans to set up a joint venture with SITA (Suez Group) to develop end-of-life vehicle recycling in France. This joint venture would take control of INDRA Investissements S.A.S, a company with more than 20 years' experience in vehicle dismantling.

This partnership would make it possible to recover 95% of all vehicles by weight in 2015, the target set by the European Directive.

Renault is the first carmaker to make such a strong and direct commitment to the vehicle recycling industry to achieve the environmental performance required.

• Find out more about SITA and INDRA (14,01 Ko)

Reusing waste

Launched in 2007, Renault eco², restates the Group’s commitment to reducing and reusing waste. Based on 3 criteria, Renault eco² is awarded to vehicles in the range that are up to 95% recyclable by weight at end of life and that include at least 5% recycled plastic in their total plastic content.

Production phase

The main priority of the progress plan is to cut quantities of residual waste incinerated without recovery of energy or sent to landfill.  In pursuit of this aim, Renault is taking action at source (reduction in quantities of waste, design, sorting).

• The amount of packaging waste per vehicle fell 54% between 1996 and 2007.

• In 2007 sites produced 46 kg of ordinary waste (excluding sheet metal scrap) per vehicle.

• In 2007 sites produced 29 kg of hazardous waste per vehicle.

The increase in quantities of ordinary waste per vehicle can be attributed primarily to the integration of new international sites, such as Dacia in Romania, RSM in Korea and Sofasa in Colombia. The ratio of ordinary waste per vehicle has been falling since 2002 as a result of training to promote sorting at source and to recover materials.

The changeover to the new water-based paint process cuts atmospheric emissions but increases quantities of hazardous waste despite the continuous progress made with paint shop suppliers.

In emerging countries where Renault is setting up new business locations, infrastructure is often lacking for collecting, transporting and treating the waste produced by the automotive industry. With the support of different international partners (cement makers, waste managers), Renault has put in place innovative waste disposal solutions that respect the environment. One such solution deployed in these markets is for Renault to supply its industrial waste as an alternative fuel source or as a replacement raw material in cement-making furnaces.

Group results

Changes in the weight of packaging per vehicle from 1996 to 2007 in kg per vehicle (body assembly plants in the EU)

Vehicle-use phase

• New Laguna reaps the benefits of all the experience acquired across the range in terms of eco-design for recycling. It thus achieves excellent recycling figures:  it is 95% recoverable by weight and includes more than 17% of recycled plastics. A result achieved through the studies carried out by Renault and its suppliers on 90 vehicle components.