The foundation stone for the first large-scale plant for recycling end-of-life vehicles based on the Volkswagen-SiCon process is being laid today in Enns near Linz, Upper Austria. The plant has an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes of shredder residue from end-of-life vehicles and other waste. The project is being implemented by Bernegger, the Austrian company that has played a pioneering role in the field of raw material recycling and environmental protection. The first stage of a smaller plant based on Volkswagen-SiCon technology was commissioned in Belgium this May.

The process developed jointly by Volkswagen AG and SiCon GmbH since 1999 is the first industrially viable mechanical recycling process to ensure the maximum level of shredder residue recycling. This approach allows the economically efficient ecological recycling of end-of-life vehicles as well as other material flows such as electronic scrap, thus making a major contribution to optimizing the exploitation of raw material resources from waste in Europe. Under the mechanical recycling of the shredder residue, the end-of-life vehicle is handled as a raw material (“complex ore”) and not as waste. Recyclable materials can thus be made available for further use.

Reinhold Kopp, General Representative of Volkswagen AG, explained the reasons for Volkswagen’s commitment: “Given the legal requirements, the industry has taken the initiative and developed a practicable solution to end-of-life vehicle recycling. Volkswagen has taken on a pioneering responsibility for its products even at the end of their useful life.”

Volkswagen has been involved in end-of-life vehicle recycling for almost 15 years. The first activities to dismantle vehicles at the beginning of the recycling chain started as early as 1991. With the development of shredder residue processing at the end of recycling chain, the Volkswagen-SiCon process brings this commitment full circle. The process will also be made available to markets worldwide for recycling other end-of-life products such as electrical equipment. Further plants are currently being planned in various European countries.

Under the process, reusable material fractions can be produced by multi-stage shredding in combination with sorting and segregation on the basis of physical criteria such as density, particle shape, magnetic properties, conductivity and optical characteristics. The process creates secondary raw materials ideally suited to replace primary raw materials and thus protect natural resources.

Environmental protection at Volkswagen

Volkswagen’s environmental strategy is integrated in the company’s sustainability strategy. Volkswagen has published an environmental report every two years since 1995, and the first Group sustainability report will be published at the end of 2005. The www.mobilitaet-und-nachhaltigkeit.de website provides further up-to-date information and the opportunity for dialogue.

An environmental management system is in place at all Volkswagen production plants. By the beginning of 2006, all sites will have been certified to EMAS or ISO 14001. The sites in all regions orient their environmental protection activities to environmental action plans which are updated regularly.

Technical Development at Volkswagen is also certified to ISO 14001, and environmental targets in seven target areas ensure the continuous improvement of products with regard to environmental compatibility and the conservation of resources.