Sustainable Design | Environment

Because the environment is so important to us, we're increasing the efficiency of our recycling process by designing products from the start to be sustainable.

Vauxhall's design for sustainability is a key element in our product responsibility. And aims to decrease the waste produced during vehicle production as well as at the end the vehicle's life. Vauxhall's design for sustainability is part of our commitment to the environment and the preservation of precious material and energy resources.

In terms of product development, Vauxhall's recycling strategy is based on two cornerstones:

Design for sustainability
Development and implementation of material cycles for vehicle production

Integrated Product Responsibility

Development

Life cycle assessments
Sustainable oriented material selection

Production

Use of recycled materials (recyclates)

Usage

Dealership disposal (waste management)
Spare parts

Recovery

Vehicle recovery
De-pollution and pre-treatment
EU ELV-Directive

To ensure that all Vauxhall products meet our recycling aims, all Vauxhall design teams must follow the 'Recyclability/Recoverability' guidelines. These guidelines have been created to support both Vauxhall engineers and suppliers in their development of recyclable vehicles. This process also helps engineers to assess the ease at which parts, components etc. can be recycled at the end of the vehicle's life.

Elements of Design for Sustainability

Sustainable oriented material selection
Design for depollution
Design for pre-treatment

Vauxhall has a long tradition of using recycled materials, also known as recyclates. Until today the usage of recyclates increased continuously. More than 230 plastic recyclate types have been specified and approved for use in production. From a technical perspective lots of efforts are made to increase the amount of recyclate materials in use.

In comparison to virgin materials, recyclates must fulfil all the same technical requirements. Recyclate materials are preferred when the part price does not increase. Quality is never compromised. Our recycling team takes every effort to maintain high quality look and feel, mechanical and thermal durability, along with performance standards.

In fact, because our recycled materials are of such a high standard and quality, they can now be used for visible parts as well as hidden parts of Vauxhall cars.

Use of Recycled Materials

The highlighted parts can be made of recycled materials

(example: Insignia).

At Vauxhall, we’ve been taking back our vehicles for free and disposing of them responsibly since 2007. Here’s how the process works.

The last owner takes the ELV to one of our contracted take-back partners. After checking the vehicle our take-back partner issues the required Certificate of Destruction (CoD)

First of all the battery is taken off and the airbags are neutralized. Our take-back partner then takes out all fuels and other operating fluids of the ELV. This includes engine oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, coolant & refrigerant fluid from the air conditioning system.

The next step is the dismantling of components and systems in order to market them as used parts or to use them as basis for remanufactured parts. If economically viable, materials like plastic or glass are taken off for recycling purposes.

Environmentally hazardous materials are collected and later sent on to specialised recovery companies for recovery or disposal.

The pre-treated hulks are delivered to a shredder which segregates the ELV into pieces and sorts the output into various fractions for further recycling or recovery.

These segregated material fractions from the shredder are further processed with different technologies (magnet, eddy current, flotation) to obtain material fractions which can be used as valuable secondary raw materials.

Material fractions from the shredder and from the PST plants can be recycled (e.g. as replacement for coal in blast furnaces, dewatering means in sewage sludge) or recovered in the cement industry. This process enables a recovery of 95% of the vehicle and reduces drastically the amount of remaining waste for landfill.

^{_{Through our end-of-life vehicle take-back process.}}

We've always done our best to be environmentally friendly but now recycling is not a choice, it's part of the law. On 8 June 2006 the ELV (End-of-Life Vehicle) regulations came into force in Europe. A recycling initiative that demands manufacturers decrease the amount of waste created during vehicle production and at the end of the vehicle's life.

As of 1 January 2007 all Vauxhall cars can be returned by their owner to one of the Vauxhall contract partners for vehicle take-back, at the end of its life. This is a free service, subject to certain conditions (please see below).

We want to make sure that your end-of-life vehicle is recycled in an environmentally friendly way. That's why we ensure that all our take-back locations fulfil the legal requirements of the ELV Regulations by having them certified by independent experts in accordance with the law. Each of our take-back partners, all processes and the documentation of all incoming and outgoing material streams will also be checked by our recycling experts.

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Essential parts or components are not missing

The vehicle doesn't contain any non-automotive waste

The vehicle has up to 9 seats or is a Light Commercial Van up to 3.5 tonnes

The vehicle was finally registered in the EU

The vehicle was registered less than one month in the EU

The original vehicle papers have been handed over together with the vehicle

^{_{Recycling your Vauxhall with our partner Autogreen}}

When your Vauxhall reaches the end of the road, recycling it with our partner Autogreen can offer you peace of mind − and a financial reward.

Visit Rewarding Recycling to value your vehicle^* for recycling, and get a free, instant and no obligation quote. If you want to go ahead, simply contact a Vauxhall retailer and arrange to take your vehicle down for collection. You’ll need to take your V5 vehicle registration document and proof of ID – one photo ID (driving licence or passport) and a utility bill with an address that matches that shown on the V5.

Once your vehicle has been collected from the retailer, you’ll receive your Autogreen payment direct to your bank account via a BACS transfer. You’ll also get a certificate of destruction via email. This proves that the vehicle is no longer your responsibility.

^{_{Why Autogreen?}}

Autogreen has organised the collection, treatment and environmental disposal and re-use of more than 1.25 million vehicles. Their Rewarding Recycling process ensures that your scrap car is responsibly disposed of in line with UK legislation, and follows a fully auditable route for compliant vehicle disposal.

At some point, the battery in your vehicle will reach the end of its life. Because of the toxic contents batteries contain, you should always recycle your car battery responsibly. Here’s what you can do.

Take it to a recycling centre

Your local recycling centre will accept most types of household waste, including vehicle batteries, without charge.

Some businesses – such as licensed, authorised treatment facilities (vehicle dismantlers), metal recycling companies and other waste removal / treatment companies – might accept your battery without charge in return for the value of the scrap metal.

FIND A RECYCLING CENTRE

Contact your manufacturer

Automotive Batteries

As a producer of automotive batteries under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, we, Vauxhall Motors Ltd, are obliged to collect on request, free of charge and within a reasonable time, our waste automotive batteries for treatment and recycling from final holders e.g. dealer, scrap yards, end-of-life vehicle Authorised Treatment Facilities, Civic Amenity Sites, etc.

If you require support on the take back process of our automotive batteries (starter batteries), please contact us at customercare@vauxhall.co.uk. The necessary arrangements for the collection, proper treatment and recycling of the waste automotive batteries will be undertaken.

Industrial Batteries

As a producer of industrial batteries, electrically powered or hybrid vehicles, under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, we, Vauxhall Motors Ltd, produce LEV50N 50Ah 3.75V Lithium-ion Cell & LEV75 75Ah 3.75V Lithium Ion Cell batteries. We are obliged to take back free of charge, waste industrial batteries supplied to an end user for treatment and recycling. We are required to do this in any calendar year we place new industrial batteries on the market.

If any of our customers or in certain cases other end users, require us to take back Industrial batteries, they should contact us at customercare@vauxhall.co.uk.

All battery producers in the UK must be registered with the government as part of an EU-wide initiative to increase battery collection and recycling, and completely prohibit the landfill or incineration of automotive and industrial batteries. Vauxhall’s battery producer registration number is BPRN00474.