Automotive Recycling in the United States and Japan: Benchmarks and Future Directions

In order for post-consumer vehicle recycling to be successful, several systemic needs must become economic and institutionalized, including readily recyclable materials, recycling technologies, applications for recycled materials, materials disassembly and identification methods, and recycling infrastructures. By examining the recycling strategies, organizations and goals of automobile manufacturers in the United States and Japan, as well as recycling research and implementation in both countries, this paper: 1) preliminarily benchmarks U.S. and Japan automaker vehicle recycling programs against these systemic needs, 2) considers the life cycle implications of recycling choices, and 3) discusses future trends in vehicle recycling.