Dr. Sivapalan Kathiravale, Head of Research & Development in Strategy, Growth, and Business Development, Tadweer Group, explained the enormity of the issue. “There is no specific time frame for vehicles to be deemed ‘End of Life’. ‘For well-maintained vehicles, this may occur naturally after 15 to 20 years on the road. However, vehicles subjected to poor maintenance or misuse may reach their ELV in just seven to 10 years. A major contributor to ELVs is vehicles deemed a 'total loss' following accidents. With approximately 3.2 million vehicles registered in the UAE as of 2020, a significant number of ELVs are expected to be present in the country."

He further highlighted the immense value in recycling, “ELV recycling is highly efficient, with rates typically ranging from 90% to 95%. Most of the recycled material is reintegrated into the industry, contributing to a circular economy. Case studies indicate that scrap sorting for End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) can reduce primary aluminium requirements by 15–25%,” he added. Tadweer Group works closely with Enviroserve, an e-waste specialist in which it acquired 50% shares alongside Dubai Holding earlier this year.  

Nikeeta N Jaiin, Founder and CEO, Vardhman Auto Recycling, noted.  “It is crucial to recognise the vast amount of natural resources required to manufacture a single vehicle. Even after a vehicle reaches the end of its life, it still contains valuable resources such as metals, rubber, plastic, and glass.” Reintegrating these materials into the economy promptly is essential to minimise resource waste, she added. 

“This principle applies equally to Electric Vehicles (EVs), which require specialised recycling solutions for their batteries. Delaying the recycling of ELVs and EVs reduces the value of the materials due to factors such as oxidation and corrosion, underscoring the need for timely and efficient recycling practices,” she emphasised the urgency of timely recycling. 

Recycling of ELVs involves three key steps: depollution, dismantling, and resource recovery. The process begins with depollution, where all fuels and liquids are safely extracted from the vehicle. Next is dismantling, which involves separating usable and non-usable parts. Finally, resource recovery focuses on reclaiming valuable materials such as iron, aluminium, copper, zinc, and others for reuse. 

Challenges ahead  

Kathiravale explored some of the challenges in ELV recycling. “One of the primary challenges lies in defining ELVs and implementing effective regulations around them. Additionally, the de-registration and collection of these vehicles pose significant hurdles. While advanced recycling technologies are readily available in regions such as the EU and Japan, establishing a robust market for recycled materials is critical.” 

This market must be developed in advance to create a demand-driven ‘pull factor,’ encouraging the removal of ELVs from roads and their entry into recycling facilities, he explained. “Only after these foundational elements are addressed can investments be made in establishing an ELV recycling facility,” he pointed out. 

Sharing insights into the Indian scenario, Jaain identified the lack of public awareness about the hazardous waste present in ELVs as a primary challenge. Vehicle owners, who are the actual inventory holders, often remain emotionally attached to their vehicles, leaving them to occupy valuable space indefinitely, she said. 

The second issue is the dominance of the unauthorised sector, which undermines the operations of Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs). ELV recyclers rely heavily on volume to sustain their businesses, but in India, a combination of emotional attachment and public preference for selling ELVs to unauthorised operators diverts supply. This, in turn, exacerbates environmental hazards, contaminating air, water, and soil.” 

Financially, the third challenge lies in creating a level playing field for authorised recyclers. The government is working on introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules under ELV laws, encouraging automobile manufacturers to support recyclers. However, progress has been slow. To enhance financial viability, the Government of India has proposed tax reliefs for consumers who choose authorised recyclers. By offering incentives rather than penalties, these measures aim to promote responsible recycling and curb environmental pollution while enabling ELV recyclers to offer competitive prices to consumers, she highlighted. 

She further added, “Local conditions in India have necessitated the implementation of ELV recycling rules. According to government data, the country is expected to have 25 million deregistered vehicles by 2025. Until 2020, there were no authorised recyclers capable of ensuring ethical recycling practices aligned with international standards.”

India has studied mature policies from countries like the UK, drawing insights from both their shortcomings and innovations. Despite being a late entrant to the ELV recycling framework, the nation has crafted a relatively precise policy tailored to its unique, nationwide challenges. 

“In today’s interconnected world, changes in one region often have a profound impact on others, influencing future policies globally. India’s digitised ELV recycling policy leverages the latest technologies to adapt to the dynamic demands of the evolving recycling industry. With these strides, we look forward to witnessing one of the most robust ecosystems for ELV recycling take shape in India,” she noted. 

Progress in Electric Vehicles recycling 

Manikumar Uppala, Co Founder and Chief of Industrial Engineering, Metastable Materials, delved into the developments in EV recycling.  “EVs are popular for their "sustainability" due to zero tailpipe emissions. When it comes to EVs, the battery is primarily the component that needs to be recycled,” he said. 

Studies show EVs can generate more pollution than gasoline vehicles if batteries aren’t recycled or sustainably sourced. For instance, EV production accounts for 46% of lifecycle emissions compared to 26% for ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, with nearly 4 tonnes of CO2 emitted per EV during production. To offset these emissions, an EV must be used for at least eight years. 

“With the automotive industry contributing over 10% of global CO2 emissions, recycling ELVs is critical. Extracting materials like plastics and metals from ELVs reduce the need for virgin resources, making the industry more sustainable. Combining recycling with the shift to EVs can significantly enhance the automotive sector's environmental responsibility,” he pointed out.  

Batteries remain a significant challenge 

Explaining the process, he said, the lead acid batteries of ICE and lithium-ion batteries of EVs both are dismantled, cut or shredded, and recycled using hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical technologies. Lead acid battery recycling yields copper, silver, arsenic and further electrolysis processes yield lead. “Lithium Ion battery recycling is relatively new and these batteries are more complex to recycle due to the batteries being built to be difficult to break down. There are many chemistries such as NMC, LCO and LFP, and many form factors.” The traditional practices use pyrometallurgy to burn off plastics etc, and extract the cathode active material or hydrometallurgy and refining processes combined to create either black mass and can further be refined to make metals. Cathode active materials could be lithium cobalt oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, etc. depending on the chemistry of the battery being recycled. There are newer technologies like carbothermal reduction which directly produce metals and lithium carbonate. “The extracted materials from recycling can be repurposed for their various use cases in the metals, and plastics industry or for battery manufacturing,” he elucidated. 

Commenting on how regulations impact the industry, he said, “The EU passed directives and set targets for end-of-life batteries to address manufacturing for ease of recycling, setting minimum reusability and recyclability rate, requiring a minimum percentage of manufacturing raw material to be recycled materials. China has worked on the traceability of battery materials and implemented battery passports. Many countries have banned importing or exporting old vehicles that are not roadworthy.” EPR schemes are being implemented by many countries. When implemented in India, the EPR scheme for management of ELVs will require producers to be responsible for recycling of their vehicles or at least their components like tyres, batteries, etc. “India’s Vehicle Scrappage Policy, Hazardous Waste Management Rules, Battery waste management rules, Environmental Protection Act guide producers on how to handle automotive waste and necessitate producers’ participation.”