Olivier FRANCOIS, President of the steering committee IARC, and President of EuRIC, discusses topics raised during this year’s International Automotive Recycling Congress and their possible effects on the ELV industry.

There was much information to absorb at the recent 21st International Automotive Recycling Congress, held on the 5th and 7th of July in Basel, Switzerland. The two-day event focused on the many aspects of the vehicle recycling industry and attracted speakers and delegates from around the world. It provided an environment for the exchange of views plus the opportunity to get up to date with the latest developments in the industry.

ICM: What are the main issues the automotive recycling industry faces at the moment?
Olivier François: There are 250 million vehicles currently circulating in Europe and the main priority today is to make sure they are correctly handled at their end of life. The automotive recycling sector has perfectly achieved the recycling targets that were fixed for the automotive industry by the European legislator in 2000, within the 2015 deadline despite the challenges, and in total autonomy of the car manufacturers.

Latest news from Basel: first ever plant tour to the Thommen Group recycling plant; new workshop on safety in handling high-voltage automotive batteries; exhibition hall almost full.

The Call for Papers for the International Automotive Recycling Congress IARC 2022 is open until March 15, 2022. The IARC 2022 is taking place in Basel, Switzerland from July 5 – 7, 2022. The conference will focus on the impact on the industry of accelerating market growth and greener waste regulations, which are gathering speed and putting more pressure on many sectors of the auto recycling industry on an international scale.