ANÁLISIS DE METODOLOGÍAS DE DISEÑO PARA EL FIN DE VIDA DE PRODUCTOS

Abstract

European Union, by means of Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles, limits the deposit of waste materials coming from vehicles in landfills. Directive 2000/53/EC provides that, by 1st January 2015, maximum 5% by weight of the vehicle will be deposited in landfills at the end of its useful life. That is, at least 95% by weight of the vehicle must be recovered. Currently, Spain recovers over 85% of vehicle weight. Almost all metallic materials are recovered. That represents approximately 75% of the vehicle. On the other hand, Spain recovers only half of plastics and composites, setting 10% of vehicle weight. If current situation doesn’t change, the increasing use of plastics and composites in the automotive sector will increase the waste deposited in landfills. To reverse this situation it is necessary to consider the end-of-life of the product during the design stage of future vehicles. This paper discusses those design methodologies that consider the end-of-life and recovery process of complex products as key design aspects. Their study will reveal relevant considerations to the vehicle design process using plastics and composites. Keywords: end-of-life; vehicle; recovery; reinforced plastic; lightweighting; eco-design