The story of a dying car in India: understanding the economic and materials flow of end-of-life vehicles

This report summarises the results of two surveys and a number of field- based research missions carried out in the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) industry in Northern India. The research aims to present a clear picture of what happens to a vehicle in India at the end of its life-cycle. As a first step, a schematic materials flow has been developed through a participatory process with users, dismantlers, and recyclers. The study shows that the ELV industry consists of many different participants, who constantly interact with each other in a complex, interdependent process. The study provides a better understanding of the economics of the recycling of ELVs in India, as well as an insight into the attitudes, knowledge, and practices of the ELV handlers. The major focus of the study is the economic, environmental, and social challenges that emanate from a change in status quo. For the environmental issues, the report identifies a number of different individual vehicle parts as either waste (i.e., cannot be reused or recycled) or posing environmental danger (i.e., toxic to either humans or wildlife), according to the way they are currently treated by the informal sector. The report ends by presenting a series of recommendations on how to improve the resource efficiency of the ELV industry in India. It proposes a system to recognise and formalise the work of a currently largely informal sector, and ways for vehicle manufacturers to take responsibility for the products they release in the market.