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BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC): 30 years of setting the pace for the circular economy.
Mon Sep 09 09:00:00 CEST 2024 Press Release
Many years of experience, consistent advancement of processes and international knowledge transfer: BMW Group as a pioneer of the circular economy in automotive engineering. Halfway point success in the Car2Car research project: efficient recycling of steel, aluminium, copper, glass and plastics.
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Diana Schaidnagel
BMW Group
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Munich. With the aim of advancing circularity in the
automotive industry, the BMW Group has undertaken important groundwork
in the recycling of vehicles at the end of their useful life. For 30
years, the BMW Group’s Recycling and Dismantling Centre (RDC) has been
developing and testing processes to achieve significant advances in
the recycling of parts and reusable materials. The expertise gained at
the RDC is shared with a global network in the recycling industry and
helps to promote the establishment of a circular economy in the
automotive industry. It also feeds into the BMW Group’s product design
process, ensuring that a new model’s recyclability is considered from
the outset.
Each year, the RDC recycles several thousand vehicles, most of
which are pre-series vehicles that have been used for testing and
cannot be sold to end customers. These are dismantled using a
standardised process that focuses on identifying reusable series
components and materials suitable for recycling.
Centre of excellence for recycling provides the template for
the entire industry.
What began in 1994 as a new, company-owned recycling facility
has transformed over three decades into a true centre of excellence
for vehicle recycling. In view of new regulations and the BMW Group’s
ambitious targets, the RDC will play an even more important role going
forward: the expertise it has built is key to further improving the
recyclability of vehicles.
The BMW Group was instrumental in setting up the IDIS
(International Dismantling Information System) platform, on which the
RDC publishes its data and findings. These are then available free of
charge to recycling companies around the world. Some 3,000
organisations in 32 countries currently use the joint recycling
database to learn how to dismantle recyclable components
cost-effectively and recover valuable materials efficiently.
Developing and improving recycling processes is part of the
effort to reduce the environmental footprint, while conserving
resources also helps to reduce emissions.
Today’s scrap is tomorrow’s raw material.
Vehicle recycling at the RDC begins with the controlled release
of the restraint systems and the pumping out of all fluids. A
proprietary BMW Group process is used to neutralise the pyrotechnics
in the airbags, among other things. Oil is also removed from the shock
absorbers using a specially developed device.
During the subsequent dismantling phase, the focus is initially
on recycling individual components. Functional components in mint
condition and with series status are not disposed of but passed on to
registered dealers for resale. During the mechanical dismantling of
the rest of the vehicle, certain materials, such as the copper
contained in the wiring harnesses, are separated using a specially
designed excavator. Once the engine block and gearbox have been
removed, the remaining vehicle is pressed and shredded at an external
recycling facility.
The targeted dismantling of metals ensures that today’s scrap
becomes tomorrow’s raw material – to the greatest possible extent and
in the best possible quality. This is not only important from an
environmental point of view, but also from a financial one: just like
copper, metals used in the powertrain generate particularly high
revenues. Separate dismantling of the catalytic converter is also
economically efficient because of the valuable precious metals it contains.
Car2Car: Rigorous research for efficient recycling.
The BMW Group also supports external research efforts into how
innovative recycling processes can conserve resources and increase
economic efficiency. In the Car2Car research project, subsidised by
the Federal German government, the RDC provides both expertise and
end-of-life vehicles. Over the past year, the project has developed
methods that make it possible to utilise a much greater share of
recyclable materials from end-of-life vehicles in the production of
new cars, especially steel, aluminium, copper, glass and plastics.
The BMW Group has taken on the role of consortium leader in the
Car2Car consortium and is collaborating with members of the recycling
industry, raw material processing companies and scientists. The
mid-term review of the project shows great interim progress in
evaluating the economic and environmental impacts of different
recycling processes. The exchange of knowledge and collaborative
analysis have led to new perspectives on the recycling of residual
materials, providing a solid foundation on which to build innovative
processes. For example, scientists and industry experts are jointly
designing semi-automated dismantling processes that will enable the
cost-effective separation of recyclable materials.
Circular design for a closed material cycle.
Any knowledge gained at the RDC about the recyclability of
components and materials is already incorporated into the BMW Group’s
product development. By applying the principles of Re:Think, Re:Duce,
Re:Use and Re:Cycle, the BMW Group aims to ensure that vehicles are
available as a source of raw materials for new cars at the end of
their useful life, which in Germany is on average 21 years. A key
factor in these efforts is the use of mono-materials instead of
composites, as they are easier to recycle thanks to their greater purity.
Production processes at the BMW Group’s plants around the world
are also being revised based on the RDC’s findings: in new vehicle
production, preference is given to methods that facilitate the
dismantling of components and the separation of materials by type. For
example, gluing has been replaced by innovative joining solutions.
Closed-loop recycling for high-voltage batteries.
As electromobility becomes more widespread, the recycling of
high-voltage batteries is increasingly becoming another top priority.
For many years, the RDC has been working in partnership with industry
and academia to develop innovative methods to recycle BEV batteries.
Once again, the RDC is setting the pace on the road to
circularity. Over the past three decades, it has repeatedly supported
the development of new models, materials, and technologies by
providing advances in recycling. Now, in the age of electromobility,
the RDC has taken on the additional task of gathering in-depth
expertise on the reuse of valuable resources and making it widely
available to the recycling industry. In this way, the RDC is
consistently expanding its role as a centre of excellence for vehicle
recycling. At a time when the circular economy is becoming
increasingly important for the future of the automotive industry, the
RDC’s expertise and skills are in greater demand than ever.
Please contact us if you have any questions:
BMW Group, Press and Public Relations
Diana Schaidnagel, Press Officer Sustainability BMW Group
Phone: +49-151-601-38407
E-mail: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de
Isabel Richter, Team Leader Sustainability Communications BMW Group
Phone: +49-151-601-53189
E-mail: Isabel.Richter@bmw.de
Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-mail: presse@bmwgroup.com
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites
worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles
and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to €
155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce
of 154,950 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the
future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and
efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from
the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.
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