VW Van Centre:
Introduction| Recycling| | Usage| Recovery| Dismantling| Disposal| Treatment facilities
Taking future dismantling and recycling into account from the outset.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has been conducting detailed dismantling inspections on its own vehicles for many years. The findings of these inspections are used in new vehicle projects to continually enhance the dismantling and re-utilisation properties of our vehicles.
Here are just a few examples of how such enhancements are achieved through the intelligent use of a variety of materials and techniques:
- Replacing adhesives with insert links on large surfaces (e.g. noise insulation of the bulkhead).
- Using standardised plastics (luggage compartment lining and panelling made of PP modifications).
- Easily accessible and easily separable connecting elements (instrument panel).
- Reduced usage of PVC (introduction of an underbody liner).
- Minimised usage of antidrum (vibration damping) sheeting through acoustic optimisation.
Even in the early phases of construction, our engineers join forces with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles suppliers to devise recycling concepts for components and assembly groups. This is an important step towards further improving the dismantling properties and recyclability of our vehicles - especially in the face of mounting demands on new vehicles, most notably in areas such as comfort, safety and fuel economy.
Product development.
At Volkswagen, environmental protection is an integral part of the whole process chain from product planning and product development to the recovery of end-of-life vehicles. Against this background, when a new Volkswagen is developed, numerous activities not only guarantee the long life of the vehicle, but also improve subsequent recovery.
All engineers involved in the development process use internal guidelines and extensive information as the basis for creating recyclable products. In addition to avoiding the use of hazardous substances, we are also increasingly using recycled materials as well as labelling materials of all applicable vehicle components with their material types, to aid identification and subsequent recycling.
The environmentally friendly properties of the new vehicle are checked in a recycling analysis.
Documentation is prepared and made available to recycling companies to ensure environmentally friendly recycling at the end of a vehicle’s life.
