A cost and benefit analysis of future end-of-life vehicle glazing recycling in France: A systematic approach

As with other European countries, the French automotive industry needs to improve the end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling rate in order to reach the minimum reuse and recovery rate required by EU directives. This paper proposes a model to investigate the potential cost and benefit of ELV glazing recycling for all value-chain stakeholders, and for the network as a whole. Key parameters of future changes, namely glass cullet price, landfill cost, network coverage and transportation costs are identified at the level of field research. A system dynamics approach is then used to simulate the net economic balance of the recycling network under different future scenarios. The simulation reveals an increase in the income and considerable cost savings as a result of the recycling network in some of future scenarios.

► ELV glazing is not being recycled or recovered in France and most of EU countries, most probably because it is not economically viable.
► This paper proposes a methodology for generating future scenarios, and simulates the net balance of glazing recycling under those scenarios.
► Establishing a glazing recycling network needs incentive for upstream stakeholders at the beginning, but will generate profit for the whole network in the future.