Journal of Environmental Sciences 2011, 23(Supplement) S162–S166

End-of-life vehicle recycling and international cooperation between Japan, China and Korea: Present and future scenario analysis Jia Che1,∗, Jeong-soo Yu2 , Roy Serrona Kevin3 1. Graduate Student, JSPS Research Fellow, Department of Interregional Environmental System, Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576, Japan. E-mail: [email protected] 2. Associate Professor, Department of Interregional Environmental System, Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576, Japan 3. Department of Interregional Environmental System, Graduate School of International Cultural Studies, Tohoku University, 41 Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576, Japan

Abstract In the area of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling, Japan passed the Automobile Recycling Law in January 2005, the first in Asia. Korea followed suit with the passage of the resource circulation method in 2009. China is expected make a new recycling law in 2011. In contribution to these initiatives, Tohoku University made a comparative analysis of ELV recycling laws, advance dismantling experiments and scenario analysis to promote international cooperation. This is envisioned to introduce ELV recycling system in Japan, China and Korea and in developing countries as well. Key words: ELV, general recycling process, advanced recycling process, environmental and economic impacts

Introduction The number of new cars sold in China in 2009 was 13.64 million which makes it an emerging car-dependent country. It is expected that these cars will become used cars after several years. How do these projected end-of-life vehicle (ELV)s receive appropriate treatment and disposal? The Chinese government came up with a policy regulating ELV disposal also known as Statute 307 (Chen, 2005, 2006). In this law, five major vehicle components, namely: engine, power transmission box, steering axle and chassis are mandated to be recycled as metal materials. In this article, a comparative analysis of ELV recycling laws between Japan, Korea and China is made including an advance dismantling experiment and future scenario analysis in an effort to promote international cooperation in these three countries.

1 ELV recycling law (Japan, Korea, China)

policy is expected to be implemented this year. Therefore, we compared ELV recycling laws between Japan, Korea and China as shown in Table 1.

2 Dismantlement experiment in Japan 2.1 Recycling process of ELV The Miyagi Automobile Car Recycling Center is the number one recycling company in Tohoku region of Japan and averaging 2300 used cars are recycled per month (Che et al., 2008). The dismantlement process of the company involves major steps. First, general recycling process of ELV which includes draining of battery, detaching, air backing bomb to pieces, tire detaching, and draining or removal of used oil and fluid. In addition, aluminum and copper are taken out manually or with the use of heavy equipment, and then put into the press machine where it is compressed into a mass (Fig. 1). 2.2 Dismantlement experiment

In 2005, Japan enforced the ELV Recycling Law which gives emphasis on air bags, Freon gas and acceleration slip regulation (ASR). As of the latest, car recycling in Japan has reached 95%. Similarly, ELV recycling system had been introduced in 2009 in Korea (Yu et al., 2009). But this law is very rigid and so a lot of domestic traders have difficulty following its directives (Che et al., 2008). In other words, local traders have a hard time embracing said law. In China, Statute 307 was introduced. And a new * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

SUBARU LEGACY GT type of ELV has a total weight of 1380 kg. With advanced recycling process, the total weight of dismantled parts goes down to 1232.9 kg. The final weight of the process is 582.7 kg. Weight around the foot is 190 kg as shown in Table 2. The dismantlement result and the total weight of the general recycling process is around 1172 kgs. As reflected in Table 3. It is somewhat light compared with the dismantlement result according to the weight of advanced recycling process. It is thought that glass materials scatter

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ELV recycling laws between Japan, Korea and China

Japan

Korea

China

Enforcement year Enforcement background

2005 1. Illegal disposal; 2. an increase in processing cost; 3. a decrease of innings.

2010 1. Resource circulation economy; 2. resource effective use.

Range of enforcement Defrayal

The country only Consumer and manufacturer

2008 (The real enforcement is 2009) 1. Illegal disposal; 2. resource effective use; 3. disused car information management. The country only The manufacturer is free.

The country only Uncertainty

Producer responsibility

Only by three specified articles

Achievement of recycling obligation rate of weight base

Uncertainty

Consumer responsibility

Delivery

Delivery

Uncertainty

Information management

Only by three specified articles

Five specified articles

Information management section Dismantlement means

Car promotion center Equipment

Large-scale parts such as tanks and bread bars ECOS resource public corporation Equipment and hand work

Table 2

CRRA material reproduction society Hand work

Advanced recycling process of SUBARU LEGACY GT type

Parts Name

Weight (kg)

Unit price (Yen)

Amount (Yen)

Body Engine mission Chassis Rubber plastic and interiors Seat Door Rear gate Harness Muffler Brake rotor Bonnet Spring Brake caliper Glass Strut Brakes(pad and master cylinder) Radiator Catalyst Reception desk fender Air conditioner compressor Radiator fan Alternator (dynamo) Intercooler Frame of DVD stereo player ABS unit Door mirror Heater core Evaporator Power window motor Speaker Blower motor Wiper motor Horn Tank and pipe Total of press Total of chassis Total of above Total weight (including tire, waste oil and waste fluid)

390.0 280.0 116.8 82.0 59.4 54.0 30.0 22.0 20.8 20.4 18.5 17.6 16.8 15.6 12.4 6.6 6.4 6.2 6.0 5.8 5.2 5.0 5.0 4.8 4.4 4.0 4.0 3.0 2.8 2.4 2.4 1.2 0.8 0.6 582.7 190.0 1,232.9 1,380.0

25.0 65.0 30.0 19.6 19.6 25.0 25.0 265 19.6 30.0 25.0 25.0 30.0 19.6 25.0 30.0 235.0 6400.0 25.0 110.0 19.6 145.0 19.6 25.0 55.0 19.6 235.0 145.0 10.0 19.6 55.0 55.0 60.0 55.0

9750.0 18,200.0 3504.0 1607.2 1164.2 1350.0 750.0 5830.0 407.7 612.0 462.5 440.0 504.0 305.8 310.0 198.0 1504.0 39,680.0 150.0 638.0 101.9 725.0 98.0 120.0 242.0 78.4 940.0 435.0 28.0 47.0 132.0 66.0 48.0 33.0

Main material

Remarks Including glass

Iron Iron

Iron Iron Iron Iron Iron Aluminum Aluminum Iron Aluminum

Front and back, right and left total Front and back, right and left total

Front and back, right and left total Front and back, right and left total Front and back, right and left total Front and back, right and left total Front and back, right and left total

Right and left total

Aluminum and copper 2 pieces total Iron

Copper

4 pieces total 4 pieces total

Copper

4 pieces total 2 pieces total

90,461.7

while in the process of being dismantled, using heavy equipment. Similarly, it pulls out and destroys parts such as electric wires (harness). The ratio hardly changed though the result is less than that of the advanced process and the weight of the general process (from five high-ranking articles) (Fig. 2a and b).

2.3 Economic analysis At Miyagi Automobile Car Recycling Center, the economic cost of advanced recycling process was Y90,000 Japanese yen (Table 2) while that of the general recycling process was Y45,000 Japanese yen (Table 3) for the SUBARU LEGACY GT type. Further, the cost rises when

Journal of Environmental Sciences 2011, 23(Supplement) S162–S166 / Jia Che et al.

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detailed dismantling is done. However, it is not possible to do detailed dismantling because of the very high labor cost in Japan. The ratio of the five high-ranking articles such as press (block), engine and mission, chassis tire, waste oil, waste fluid and harness in terms of percentage hardly changed, although the result is less than that of the advanced process vis-`a-vis the weight of the general process (Che and Yu, 2009). 2.4 Environmental influence analysis

Fig. 1 Table 3

Miyagi automobile car recycling process.

General recycling process of SUBARU LEGACY GT type

Parts name

Unit price (Yen)

Weight (kg)

Amount (Yen)

Press block Engine and mission Chassis Harness Radiator Conditioner Alternator Fan motor ABC unit Motor Other motors Evaporator Wiper motor Meter Heater core Computer AC pipe AC tank Horn Total of above Total weight (including tire, waste oil and waste fluid)

19.6 65.0 30.0 265.0 190.0 110.0 10.0 100.0 55.0 10.0 10.0 145.0 55.0 19.6 235.0 19.6 55.0 55.0 60.0

580.0 270.0 260.0 18.6 8.2 6.0 5.0 4.8 4.8.0 3.6 2.6 2.4 1.4 1.4 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.4 1172.0 1380.0

11,368.0 17,550.0 7800.00 4929.00 1558.00 660.00 50.0 480.0 264.0 36.0 26.0 348.0 77.0 27.4 235.0 15.7 33.0 22.0 24.0 45,503.1

In the same recycling center, moving, reversing and lifting of used cars are all done by a forklift (heavy equipment). The total was three for gasoline and four for light oil. The data of the amount of the fuel used was obtained from September 2006 through July 2007 as indicated in Table 4. Consequently, if the number of days involved in processing converts is 90 days, 9.63 kg of carbon dioxide will be exhausted. If not done properly, the number of processing converts is 2300 for one month and a total of 2370.8 tons of carbon dioxide are exhausted. The carbon dioxide of 2348.7 tons was reduced into one month.

3 Scenario analyses A collection experiment of metallic iron was conducted through the scenario analysis approach: Scenario 1: amount collection target (kg), Scenario 2: car number per month, Scenario 3: unit price for each kg, and Scenario 4: labor cost. Table 5 shows the result of the iron collection experiment of a compact used car conducted in August 2009. Copper collection experiment was also done as shown in Fig. 2b. The result shows a big difference between scenario analysis for iron and copper. In the latter, the labor cost is very high and time consuming as well (Che and Yu, 2010).

4 Conclusions On economic analysis, the economy of scale of advanced recycling process is twice than that of the general

Press (block䋩 Engine, mission a

Tire, waste oil, waste fluid Harness Chassis b

12%

16%

2%

1% 16%

44%

47% 19%

23%

20%

Fig. 2 From five high-ranking articles of advanced process (a) and general process (b).

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Amount of fuel used for the period September 2006 to July 2007

Sections

Average amount of fuel consumed based on one-day use (L)

Amount of exhaust of carbon dioxide (kg)

Exhaust amount of carbon dioxide (kg/hr)

Forklift A (gasoline) Forklift B (gasoline) Forklift C (gasoline) Forklift A (light oil) Forklift B (light oil) Forklift C (light oil) Forklift D (light oil) Heavy equipment section A (light oil) Heavy equipment section B (light oil) Heavy equipment section C (light oil) Total

16.0 16.3 4.5 6.1 5.6 10.4 4.6 126.0 70.7 74.3

37.8 38.5 10.6 16 14.7 27.2 12.1 330.1 185.2 194.7 866.8

5.4 5.5 1.5 2.3 2.1 3.9 1.7 47.2 26.5 27.8 123.8

Table 5

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Scenario 4

Scenario analysis of iron collection experiment of a compact used car (1,000 –1,500 cc)

Amount collection target (kg)

Car number by month

Production by month (kg)

Unit price for each kg

Labor cost

Sales

500 600 700 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600

2,000 2,000 2,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 900,000 1,200,000 1,500,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000 1,200,000

19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 19.6 10.0 19.6 30.0 19.6 19.6 19.6

500,000 500,000 500,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 1,000,000 1,500,000

19,100,000 23,020,000 26,940,000 17,240,000 23,020,000 28,800,000 11,500,000 23,020,000 35,500,000 23,020,000 22,520,000 22,020,000

recycling process. However, it is not possible to do the advanced process due to high labor costs in Japan. On environmental influence analysis, it is recommended not to use heavy equipment as much as possible to reduce negative environmental impacts. Instead, manual or hand work is suggested. Although the enforcement of the Automobile Recycling Law of Japan became four years until 2010, a lot of problems were left. Certainly, ASR, Fluorocarbon and air bags were targeted, the management of other articles is similar importance. Japanese government should revise the Automobile Recycling Law according to domestic trader’s situation. The emergence of automobile recycling laws in Japan Korea and China vary according to local situation and needs. It is also met with difficulties such as the case of Korea. However, the potential for international cooperation is high. After all, the goal is recycling to minimize negative environmental impacts. China will play a big role in ELV recycling and the law to be passed in 2011 is worth looking at. On the dismantlement experiment using scenario analysis, it is now clear why traders in Japan use dismantlement as a method. Copper and iron make money and used cars abound with such kind of metals. Electric vehicles will spread all over the world and the use of metals will also increase thus, making recycling a good business. And 7.3 million compact cars are sold in China in 2009. When the disused car will not be collected well in several years when becoming it, the loss of the social economy is about 200 billion Japanese yen.

Acknowledgment The authors are grateful to Sumitomo Foundation and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for supporting this research.

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