A Proper Burial
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On average, a car's lifespan is between 10 and 15 years. Then in most cases it becomes a large piece of junk, which needs special treatment. Nowadays, the European Union recycles some 75 percent of an obsolete motorised vehicle. But a directive passed in 2000 sets a target of 95 percent recycling by 2015.
It has become clear that Slovenia faces a problem in meeting this ambitious target. Despite recycling procedures being followed correctly by the authorised operators, few vehicles that are to be disposed of actually reach the recyclers. Each year, just 10 percent of the cars to be scrapped are dismantled by registered scrap yards. That's why the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning has received a reprimand from the Court of Audit. It has been criticised for failing to set up an efficient car disposal system that would allow the capture of all end-of-life vehicles or encourage owners to have them dismantled.
Problems
The environmental ministry says that are a number of reasons for the low percentage of recycled vehicles. Some are straightforward: the growing number of exported used vehicles, for instance. Others are more alarming - the number of illegally dismantled, abandoned or stored cars, some even legally sold to cover up criminal activities.
The problem also lies in the exchange of information between scrapyards, the vehicle registry and the police, resulting in inconsistent control over the matter. This also makes it difficult to estimate real figures. The system seems easy to cheat because cancelling the vehicle registration requires only a declaration of where it will be stored. The Ministry is working hard to confront the issue but it is still a bit too early to proclaim the case solved.
The process
Under legislation passed in 2004, there are 57 facilities where you can legally say farewell to your car. After your car is left for dismantling you get a paper that lets you cancel the registration. The vehicle is transported to the recycler, which in the first instance has to deal with hazardous and flammable parts. The next operation is drying, which means removing of all liquids from windshield washer to motor oil and brake fluid; each of them requires proper disposal. Then the vehicle gets stripped part by part for shredding, dumping or recycling. In the meantime the recycler removes any useful spare parts.
The Ministry for Environment reports that on the basis of the current composition of vehicles all relevant laws can be met. But it is having second thoughts about the 2015 goal. Reaching the magic 95 percent depends mostly on recycling plastic parts, which requires technologies that have not yet been fully developed.
Scrap business
Dismantling is free of charge for the owner, since the dumps are supposed to earn from selling the spare parts or recyclable materials. But it wasn't always like that. Up until 2002, Slovenians had to pay to dispose of their car.
From the business side, recycling doesn't seem to be a glorious opportunity. Marko Vergo, the head of one authorised dismantling centre estimates constant demand for a couple of years now. At the current state of demand, the profit made is "around zero". All they can earn from is selling scrap metal to the industry, while disposing of the rest comes as a cost. However he hopes for more efficient legislation which would create more business.