Business Model Approach: Design “Versus” Economic Considerations for Automotive Recycling

Automotive recycling within Europe increased with the analysis of the environmental focus of automotive products and their product system [1], which is reflected within Europe in new legislation governing the recyclability of vehicles.

This paper presents a new tool for evaluating automotive recyclability in the design process, within a whole life cost methodology. The developed business model approach reviews automotive design practices and has adapted life cycle analysis techniques to give special consideration for recyclability and costing of alternative automotive design strategies. Engineering designers can utilise the business model approach to design and manufacture a more recyclable vehicle and incorporates the economic viability of the recycling process of a product or component at the design stage. This paper presents one example where the increasing complexity of product design can produce economic justifications for design for recycling.