164
S. Kitajima and H. Onoda
increased. In the 1980s, grouping was promoted to improve “distribution effects”,
which include an increase in the delivery rate of recycled parts and an increase in
shipment volume. Amid this movement, the business has grown steadily. However,
since enactment of the Automobile Recycling Law, it has become impossible for
automobile dismantlers to emphasize “low price” that is the biggest benefactor to
expand distribution of recycled parts, due to increased costs for facilities and other
factors. In addition, while “recycled parts are good for the environment”, exactly
what is good was unclear, and it was impossible to clearly differentiate recycled
parts from new parts or external parts.
Under such circumstances, in cooperation with Nagata Laboratory in the Faculty
of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
method, which quantitatively evaluates the level of “environmental friendliness” of
recycled parts (especially reuse parts), was developed in 2001. This method presents
a new evaluation axis that is not just the amount of money. Also, it has become
possible to send easily understandable messages to society by developing and operating an “environmental load evaluation system” that is applied to the use of auto
recycled parts, through industry-academia collaborations.
In nine years after the deployment of this “environmental load evaluation system”,
CO 2 has been reduced by about 1,273,000 t-CO 2 or more. In this report, the history
from the development to the current trend of a CO 2 reduction program named as
“Green Point System” is described. Its environmental load evaluation system has
been used and worked on by many auto recycled parts sales networks in Japan, such
as JARA and JAPRA, which are deemed to be representing these networks.
12.2 Automobile Recycling Law
The past situation of recycling of end-of-life vehicles (as of 2002).
Approximately 4 million end-of-life vehicles are generated in Japan every year
(approximately 5 million when exported used cars are included), Since these cars
were valuable as resources as they are made from useful metals and parts, recycling
was carried out in the course of distribution (buying & selling) by dismantling,
shredding and sorting operators. While the recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles was
not low with about 80%, the landfill sites for treating ASR (Automobile Shredder
Residue) that is left behind after metals and parts are recycled became tight. Also,
due to the price drop of iron scrap and application of reverse charge (the situation
where car users are required to bear the processing cost when handing over their
end-of-life vehicles to the operator), concerns over illegal dumping and improper
disposal of end-of-life vehicles arose. In addition, no real progress had been seen in
the proper destruction of air conditioner refrigerants (fluorocarbons), which affect
global warming, and appropriate disposal of airbags, which requires specialized
techniques (Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center 2019a). Also, there were
the following problems in the recycling of end-of-life vehicles
S. Kitajima and H. Onoda
increased. In the 1980s, grouping was promoted to improve “distribution effects”,
which include an increase in the delivery rate of recycled parts and an increase in
shipment volume. Amid this movement, the business has grown steadily. However,
since enactment of the Automobile Recycling Law, it has become impossible for
automobile dismantlers to emphasize “low price” that is the biggest benefactor to
expand distribution of recycled parts, due to increased costs for facilities and other
factors. In addition, while “recycled parts are good for the environment”, exactly
what is good was unclear, and it was impossible to clearly differentiate recycled
parts from new parts or external parts.
Under such circumstances, in cooperation with Nagata Laboratory in the Faculty
of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, LCA (Life Cycle Assessment)
method, which quantitatively evaluates the level of “environmental friendliness” of
recycled parts (especially reuse parts), was developed in 2001. This method presents
a new evaluation axis that is not just the amount of money. Also, it has become
possible to send easily understandable messages to society by developing and operating an “environmental load evaluation system” that is applied to the use of auto
recycled parts, through industry-academia collaborations.
In nine years after the deployment of this “environmental load evaluation system”,
CO 2 has been reduced by about 1,273,000 t-CO 2 or more. In this report, the history
from the development to the current trend of a CO 2 reduction program named as
“Green Point System” is described. Its environmental load evaluation system has
been used and worked on by many auto recycled parts sales networks in Japan, such
as JARA and JAPRA, which are deemed to be representing these networks.
12.2 Automobile Recycling Law
The past situation of recycling of end-of-life vehicles (as of 2002).
Approximately 4 million end-of-life vehicles are generated in Japan every year
(approximately 5 million when exported used cars are included), Since these cars
were valuable as resources as they are made from useful metals and parts, recycling
was carried out in the course of distribution (buying & selling) by dismantling,
shredding and sorting operators. While the recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles was
not low with about 80%, the landfill sites for treating ASR (Automobile Shredder
Residue) that is left behind after metals and parts are recycled became tight. Also,
due to the price drop of iron scrap and application of reverse charge (the situation
where car users are required to bear the processing cost when handing over their
end-of-life vehicles to the operator), concerns over illegal dumping and improper
disposal of end-of-life vehicles arose. In addition, no real progress had been seen in
the proper destruction of air conditioner refrigerants (fluorocarbons), which affect
global warming, and appropriate disposal of airbags, which requires specialized
techniques (Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center 2019a). Also, there were
the following problems in the recycling of end-of-life vehicles