From the spent vehicles, in addition to many other raw materials, “shredder scrap” was obtained, a raw material that is used in foundries and ironworks, they say in the association Recyclers of Serbia. They add that state subsidies, which they are currently advocating for, would help them a lot in that area of the circular economy.
Few people think about what happens to end-of-life vehicles that have ended their lives on the roads. As we are told in the association Recyclers of Serbia, the procedure of treatment of that type of waste is defined in detail.
“First, undamaged parts of vehicles that can be reused are separated: the battery, electrical and electronic waste, catalysts, oil filters and lead parts are removed,” Suzana Obradovic, Secretary General of the Serbian Recycler, told Nova Ekonomija.
She explains that oil, antifreeze, fuel and other liquids are drained and stored in special tanks. After that, the wheels are removed, the rubber is separated and the wheels are compacted, as well as large plastic parts and glass surfaces. Then the vehicle is ready for a plant called “shredder”.
“The vehicle is compressed, crushed by grinding, with the help of water filters and air cyclones, dust is separated from metal and non-metal parts. The ground, shredded material is thrown out on the vibro trough and further on the conveyor belt,” explains the interlocutor of Nova Ekonomija.
According to Suzana Obradovic, the material “shredder shore” was then ready as a raw material for foundries and ironworks. She reminds that cars also contain hazardous waste.
“These are fuel, engine, hydraulic and oil in the transmission system, fluids from the radiator, antifreeze, oil from the brake system, acid from the battery, fluid from the air conditioner, and some vehicles contain asbestos which is harmful,” says Obradovic.
According to the interlocutor of Nova Ekonomija, in Serbia, more than 80% of the total weight of vehicles can be recycled, and the remaining part is disposed of in the manner prescribed by law. She also says that according to the current regulations, incentives are not provided for vehicle recycling, although the vehicles belong to special waste streams and require special disposal.
“We are committed to providing incentives for the treatment of vehicles that are no longer used, in order to adequately dispose of them and not end up in illegal car waste or in nature,” explains Suzana Obradovic.
As the Ministry of Environmental Protection reminds, at the beginning of the year, it announced that a decree would be adopted which would provide incentive funds for the recycling of used cars, but that has not happened yet.
In Serbia, the environmental tax is paid for the import of new vehicles, and the import of used vehicles is paid if they are imported by companies, recycle representatives added. They remind that more than half of used cars are imported through natural persons, so the payment of taxes is avoided.
“The Ministry also promised to collect the eco tax from all imported second-hand cars, but we are still waiting for that decision. Certainly, the best solution would be to not use imported vehicles that harm the environment and health,” they say in the Recyclers of Serbia association.
Importers of new cars especially point out the problem of collecting the environmental tax. The problem is also of an ecological nature, because most of the used ones cannot even be registered on the territory of the EU, from where they usually arrive in Serbia, Nova Ekonomija reports.
