The 

automotive industry comprises of companies and organizations involved in

the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is
one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such as in France up to
40 % to countries like Slovakia). It is also the industry with the highest spending on
research & development. Early car manufacturing involved manual assembly by a
human worker. The process evolved from engineers working on a stationary car, to a
conveyor belt system where the car passed through multiple stations of more
specialized engineers.
Starting in the 1960s,
robotic equipment was
introduced to the
process, and today most
cars are produced largely
with automated
machinery. n the last 15
years, the automotive
industry has made huge
strides to reduce the
environmental impact of
its products throughout
the life cycle. Since
1999, improvements in
production processes mean Figure 1
energy used to produce
vehicles is down 19%, water use is has been cut by 35% and 91% less waste enters
landfill sites. Automotive waste management involves the reuse and recycling of waste
materials like metal, solvents, batteries, plastic, and glass. Recycling of these materials
helps address environmental concerns and also allows them to address the issue of
resource depletion.

Figure 2

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If you are a small to medium sized manufacturer of automotive parts, then this fact
sheet could help you to:
 reduce input and waste disposal costs
 improve your environmental performance
 be more competitive!
Focusing on waste could help you to address high raw material costs, rising hazardous
waste treatment and disposal charges, and pressure to increase the sustainability of
your operations. This fact sheet provides practical and cost effective waste
management options that can be applied to metal and plastic component fabrication
activities such as machining and welding, injection molding, parts assembly, surface
finishing, quality control and packaging.

Major Waste Generating Activities

The major environmental wastes generated by
the automotive manufacturing industry include:
machine lubricants and coolants; aqueous and
solvent cleaning systems; paint; and scrap
metals and plastics. Hazardous cleaning
chemicals are very common and are likely to
require special waste management
arrangements. Office and warehousing wastes,
such as paper, printer cartridges, pallets and
packaging materials can also be avoided,
reused or recycled.
Figure 3
Benefits of Reducing Waste
Improving waste management can benefit your business and the environment by
reducing the cost of purchasing metals and other raw materials through process
improvements (e.g. fewer offcuts and rejects
 minimizing waste treatment and disposal costs
 reducing environmental impacts associated with waste disposal and consumption
of limited resources (e.g. by reviewing purchasing practices or testing the
suitability of recycled or non-composite materials that can be separated and
recycled if they meet customer specifications and requirements)
 improving the reputation of your business and employee satisfaction through
promoting an environmentally responsible image and providing a safer and more
comfortable workplace.
 Things to consider when improving waste management practices
 Implementing waste management improvements may require forward planning
and some changes to the way your business operates. For example:

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  proposed changes may need to be discussed with managers, workplace safety
representatives, unions, insurers, investors, suppliers and customers to identify
possible risks to quality, productivity, work conditions or security and check that
they are acceptable (e.g. protect products from damage during shipment and
delivery if surplus packaging is removed and check that customers will accept
products without packaging)
 employee training and awareness may be required to successfully implement
actions and support the introduction of new equipment or processes, such as
changes to quality management procedures, use of on-site wastewater and other
recycling systems, or sorting of waste streams
 special licenses or permits may be required by your business or contractors to
store, treat, transport or dispose of hazardous and controlled wastes, such as
used chemicals
 results are more likely to be achieved and maintained if you have a written plan
and clear targets agreed by all areas of management. A good starting point is to
priorities actions and begin with the easy, ‘low-hanging fruit’ for fast gains and to
generate enthusiasm in the business
 monitoring waste generation and disposal, such as checking collection
contractors’ invoices or benchmarking production against raw material
purchases, is important for environmental compliance, stock control and to
measure (and reward!) improvements.

Figure 4

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Common Waste Reduction
The opportunities for small to medium automotive parts manufacturers are provided in
the table following. The costs, savings and payback periods are provided as a rough
guide only. They include estimates of
upfront costs such as capital, labor and
installation, but do not include ongoing
costs unless these are fundamental to
the option itself (e.g. improved
maintenance regimes).
The suitability and benefits of each
option depend on the nature and size of
your business and the scale of
application. You should also check that
they comply with local environment,
safety, and other requirements. The
waste hierarchy provides a framework
for managing waste: avoid; reduce; reuse; recycle; and dispose.

Practical Example of Industry

The automotive industry is highly regulated in terms of waste management. At Cawley’s
we can take the strain by delivering a recycling and resource management program that
is specifically tailored to your automotive business needs.
We understand that the vehicle business is one that produces a wide variety of waste,
much of it hazardous and all of it subject to strict regulation. At Cawley’s our technical
workforce of qualified professional waste managers, chemists and environmental
specialists provide practical solutions for all of your technical waste streams, ensuring
legislation compliance and environmentally sustainable treatment technologies.

The safe collection, storage and transportation of the new generation Lithium batteries
is one of our specialist services, where we have an unusual degree of experience in this
emerging waste stream for the automotive market. We also deliver recycling and waste
management services for all the following
 Lead, lithium and lithium-ion batteries
 Waste Oil
 Waste Oil Filters
 Waste Tires
 Waste Brake Fluid
 Plastic Bumpers

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  Soiled Rags
 Anti- Freeze
 Solvents
 Waste Aerosols
 Waste Paint Tins
 Contaminated Fuels
We can provide advice on all aspects of environmental legislation affecting the
automotive industry to ensure that you’re recycling, and waste management
programmed is both cost and time effective, whilst also delivering environmental best
practice.
At Cawley’s we understand that key to a successful environmental program is the
engagement and participation of your staff. We provide bespoke training and clear and
simple signage as part of an engagement program me to ensure that all employees are
aware of and understand what is required of them so ensuring maximum recycling rates
for your company and the environment.

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