ARN Advisory

Developing and
sharing knowledge

ARN Advisory has the role within ARN of being a knowledge centre, a place where knowledge of and experience with recycling and chain management come together. In order to fulfil this role, ARN Advisory acts as an independent body when advising third parties.

ARN Advisory’s consultants provide advice about a range of recycling issues. Recommendations can relate to:

ARN Advisory provides consultancy services to external clients and to the other business units within ARN. ARN Advisory’s organization is divided into four knowledge areas. Consultants develop know-how in these knowledge areas and provide this expertise to both internal and external clients. The four areas are:

ARN Advisory cooperates
with other consulting
organisations, national
and international

Market trends

ARN Advisory closely monitors market trends that have an impact on recycling. This information is necessary for achieving ARN’s recycling objectives. However, this know-how is also utilized when dealing with external clients. A number of current trends that are being monitored are discussed below.

Electric vehicles

Both manufacturers and governments are giving strong backing to electric transport. It is expected that by 2020, 10% of vehicles in the Netherlands will be plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles. The recycling of this new generation of vehicles calls for a different approach. The heavy batteries do not last as long as the vehicle and contain materials that are difficult to recycle. Furthermore, using current technology makes recycling these batteries expensive. On the other hand, electric vehicles contain many scarce materials that are well worth recycling.
ARN Advisory is concentrating its research on two factors. The first concerns alternative reuse options for batteries that are no longer suitable for the vehicle but can still be used to store energy for other purposes. A collection structure needs to be set up for this. The second factor is the development of an efficient and environmentally sound recycling method for electric vehicle batteries. ARN and various market players are collaborating in developing such a method.

Vehicle composition

Although the use of plastics continues to increase, so too does the overall weight of vehicles. Vehicles are becoming heavier despite the use of lightweight materials. This trend is expected to reverse with the advent of a range of small eco-friendly cars. It is not yet clear when this reversal will happen, however, because large numbers of big vehicles are still being sold.
It is also obvious that vehicles contain more and more reused plastics. This reused plastic is often applied in places that are not visible to consumers because of the plastic’s less attractive appearance.
Over a 12-year period the weight of plastics in vehicles will double from an average of 75 kg (2003) to about 160 kg (2015). Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) are the most common plastics. Polyamides, such as nylon (PA6), are also often used. PP and PE are ideal for recycling. The recycling process needs to take this trend into account.

Design for recycling

The subject of recycling will become increasingly important in a world that is increasingly concerned with sustainability. By technology improvements, the emissions etc. The emissions of CO2 during the life cycle are decreasing, as a result of which the environmental benefit to be achieved in the end phase is relatively larger. The reuse of parts is an important element of dismantling. In future, battery packs from electric vehicles will also be reused. A precondition for this is that the batteries must be easy to remove so that the dismantling costs remain low. It is also crucial for battery exchange systems that the batteries are easy to access. This is where design for recycling comes into the picture. In the Netherlands ARN is now focusing primarily on post-shredder technology (PST), in which the removal of certain substances is an important aspect. A good example is PVC – a plastic that makes recycling more difficult because of its chlorine component. The use of cadmium in vehicle paint is another example. Cadmium contaminates the mineral fraction produced in the PST processes and it makes this fraction difficult to use. The use of cadmium has now been prohibited, but it will take many years before cadmium disappears from the recycling chain. These are clear instances of the drastic and long-lasting effects that material selections have on the options for the effective recycling of vehicles

Events in 2009

In 2009 ARN Advisory was actively involved in various internal and external projects. Setting up the national scrappage scheme was a major project. It was implemented in collaboration with ARN Auto Recycling.

The national scrappage scheme

At the beginning of 2009, ARN reported on its research into the feasibility, environmental effectiveness and financial implications of setting up and implementing a scrappage scheme for cars and light commercial vehicles. ARN carried out the research on behalf of sector organizations BOVAG and RAI-Vereniging. The report was submitted in February by BOVAG, RAI Vereniging and ARN to Jacqueline Cramer, Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, and formed the basis for the national scrappage scheme.

Scrapping scheme

ARN Advisory worked out the details of the scheme within two months, set up a contact centre, built a website, developed an application and instigated an introduction campaign. Minister Cramer launched the national scrappage scheme on 29 May.
ARN Advisory is using all the transactions carried out under the national scrappage scheme to build up a database that provides the sector and the media with weekly figures. Brand-specific information can also be retrieved from the database upon payment of a fee.

Supplementary scrappage schemes

In the wake of the national scrappage scheme, many initiatives were developed by businesses and local authorities that wanted to be linked to the national scheme. The goals of the scrappage scheme include improving the air quality in city centres. This was why Amsterdam City Council followed up with its own New Amsterdam Climate programme. ARN Advisory built a special website and answered the first questions posed by Amsterdam residents.
At the beginning of 2009, Mercedes-Benz’ commercial vehicles department indicated its interest in having its own scrappage scheme for vans. ARN set up the chain behind this scheme. The chain is based largely on the existing administrative infrastructure.
ARN also used this infrastructure for Rijkswaterstaat’s towing away scheme. Here too the scrappage of the vehicle is guaranteed through a combination of administration and smart monitoring.

Airbags and belt tensioners

Since October 2007, the End-of-Life Vehicles Management Decree has required that pyrotechnic parts (airbags and seat belt tensioners) are rendered harmless. Under the supervision of the Netherlands Standardisation Institute, the NEN 7557 (2008) standard was prepared jointly with parties in the sector. ARN initiated the development of this standard in 2006. The objective was to continue to be able to guarantee safety in the chain.
ARN provides all car dismantling companies in its network with equipment that can be used to make airbags and belt tensioners harmless in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound way. ARN moreover trains companies in the safe handling of airbags and belt tensioners. This training enables dismantling companies to comply with NEN 7557.
ARN has held centralized discussions with the provinces in order to amend the permits of the dismantling companies. Ten of the twelve provinces agreed to ARN’s plans. An agreement with the remaining two provinces is expected at the beginning of 2010.
As soon as a province agreed, ARN started to deliver the equipment and give training courses. In 2009, 40 of the 230 car dismantling companies that applied were equipped and trained. It is expected that the remaining companies will be ready in the first half of 2010. The project will then have been completed.

Processing manual

Since its foundation in 1993, ARN has acquired a great deal of theoretical and practical know-how about the recycling of end-of-life vehicles. The assurance and accessibility of knowledge from the four business units is an important area of attention for the knowledge centre and was the reason to set up a system. ARN Advisory is also going to market ARN’s knowledge to external parties. The provision of consultancy services started only last year, so it is not yet clear to the outside world what types of knowledge, networks and practical experience ARN can offer.
In due course, ARN will compile a processing manual on the recycling of materials in order to make part of its knowledge available to third parties. The manual will address a range of topics, for example compliance, legislation, the market, processing methods and trends. A series of articles will be written for trade journals over the next few years. This knowledge will then be bundled to form a manual.

Sustainable Platinum Group Metals project

ARN made a contribution to the Sustainable Platinum Group Metals project for Milieukontakt International. The aim of the project is to guarantee that the environmental benefits of automotive catalysts are not offset by, for example, the environmental damage caused by the extraction of the raw materials. The objective is to increase the recycling of automotive catalysts. ARN contributed by supplying information about numbers of vehicles, the parts market and metallurgical processes.

Shredder test in Ireland

ARN was asked by the Irish government to participate in a shredder test. Shredder waste was analysed in order to determine its composition. The data were used to calculate the theoretically feasible recycling percentage.

Outlook for 2010

In 2010, ARN Advisory will raise its profile, primarily in other parts of the mobility sector. It will also participate in various international platforms and discussion forums. Collaboration with other advisory organizations will be given further structure and substance.

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