Volkswagen was today presented with two certificates by the President of the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). These certificates confirm that the Volkswagen Group is the first automaker worldwide to produce series vehicles which are recyclable to a minimum of 85 percent and reusable to a minimum of 95 percent by mass.

”The certificates confirm the pioneering role of Volkswagen in the environmentally compatible recycling of vehicles,” Dr. Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand with responsibility for Development, commented. According to Hackenberg, innovative recycling has a long tradition at Volkswagen: “Last year, Volkswagen won the “European Business Award for the Environment” and the environmental award presented by the Federation of German Industries for its pioneering end-of-life recycling technology.” Volkswagen joined up with SiCon GmbH back in 1999 to develop a recycling process for end-of-life vehicles which is particularly effective in protecting the environment and preserving resources.

“We can confirm that Volkswagen integrates all the required methods, systems and processes as early as the vehicle development stage and complies with all the administrative and technical requirements set out in EU Directive concerning recycling-compatible design, production and end-of-life disposal,” KBA President Ekhard Zinke said as he presented the certificates.

The “Reusability, Recoverability and Recyclability” certificate issued by the Federal Motor Transport Authority on behalf of the EU confirms that Volkswagen already complies with the administrative and technical requirements of the new EU Directive before it comes into effect. From December 2008, when the new Directive is enforced, all vehicle manufacturers will be obliged to provide evidence of recyclability when applying for type-approval of new vehicles. The Directive specifies that new vehicles must be reusable and/or recyclable to a minimum of 85 percent and reusable and/or recoverable to a minimum of 95 percent by mass.  

The much-acclaimed Volkswagen-SiCon process recovers materials from end-of-life vehicles for use as a valuable source of raw materials. Following treatment, hard plastics, rubber, textiles, glass and metal residues replace primary raw materials and thus contribute to protecting natural resources. Apart from the ecological aspect, this process presents an economically attractive alternative for secondary raw material users as raw material prices continue to rise.