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2017 | Buch

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Automotive Recycling, Plastics, and Sustainability

The Recycling Renaissance

verfasst von: David Schönmayr

Verlag: Springer International Publishing

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book provides transdisciplinary analyses of the automotive plastics production and recycling system, including prognoses, scenarios and solutions for corporate sustainability management.

A book on plastics, not written by a plastics guy. But a sustainability guy. Plastics schizophrenia and the automotive abyss: The industry is facing a severe challenge. It is the inevitable and promising change towards a sustainable economy. However, the automotive industry is primarily concerned with the CO2 emissions from cars when driving, while the rise of lightweight plastics, electric drive and heavy batteries make the production and end-of-life phase ever more important. Therefore, the currently increasing use of non-sustainable virgin plastics in cars has to be tackled.

The plastics and the automotive industry now have a chance, and this chance is the Recycling Renaissance.

This book offers:

• Holistic and transdisciplinary overview on sustainability and automotive plastics from all angles including economy, ecology, technology, and politics with a focus on Europe

• Concise analyses, prognoses, tools and a roadmap with solutions for companies, developed together with international experts from industry and academia

• Strong scientific basis and independent research including a Europe-wide survey, expert interviews, and workshops

• More than 80 illustrations and 15 tables including a SCOT analysis

• Executive summaries after each chapter for fast reading

“The uniqueness of this book lies within the different point of view on this topic from a critical, outstanding scientist.” - Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.mont. Pomberger, Montanuni Leoben

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Origin and Design of This Book

Abstract

What is the purpose of this book, and which (non-)scientific methods were used to achieve representative, real-world results? These questions are answered in this chapter, including a short depiction on the inspiration for this work, including an outline of the book design and its logical structure.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 2. The Scientific Sustainability Approach

Abstract

Read, rethink, refine, reform. In this chapter, you will learn that sustainability is the next big thing. For you, for your company, and for society. After reading this chapter, you will be able to rethink your world, be able to refine it, and ultimately reform it. First, however, you need to understand sustainability, and you have to recognise that it is a holistic and trans-disciplinary matter. Especially considering that the topic of plastics recycling in the automotive sector is associated with a large number of different disciplines, it can and should be analysed from several scientific and non-scientific points of view, including various approaches and their respective tools and methods. As a consequence, it is a prerequisite to understand the related fields such as systems sciences, sustainable development, ecology, economy, geography, as well as environment research, society, ethics, psychology, politics, and technology, which are briefly depicted in this chapter. Through this approach, it is possible to analyse a variety of aspects of the automotive sector resulting in a holistic understanding of the system, the subsystems, and related influences. This approach generates the broad and at the same time deep knowledge foundation required for the empirical analysis in the subsequent chapters offering the holistic basis for corporate sustainability management concerning automotive plastics and recycling.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 3. Automotive Plastics and Sustainability

Abstract

Plastics, cars, and sustainability—how do those three concepts even go together? To explain, I will now present a short outline on the global development of both the plastics and automotive industries, each with a comprehensive analysis of the environmental challenges and sustainable chances of the automotive plastics production and recycling system. In this system especially, the notions and ideas depend heavily on the perspective, or in this case, rather the perspective of the companies. This creates numerous and often conflicting opinions and even facts that clash, generating controversy in particular when analysing plastics in terms of ecological sustainability. In this chapter, this controversy is brought forward in an objective, scientific manner, based on the theoretical ideas and notions from Chap. 2 to reflect on the reality in the industrial sector. Through the combination of these two chapters, we can break the surface and evaluate the current development of the automotive plastic production and recycling system.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 4. What Do the Experts Say? The Survey Results About Automotive Plastics and Recycling

Abstract

Cash-hungry managers versus real-world sustainability. Is this the case in the automotive plastics and recycling industry? To find out, a survey was conducted throughout Europe covering all the key players, ranging from virgin plastics producers, automotive industries including OEMs and suppliers, shredders, and recyclers as well as research institutions. In this chapter, the survey results are outlined and cross-checked with the results of the experts workshop. By doing so, quantitative data from the survey is merged with qualitative data from the workshops increasing the real-world representation. This approach enables the investigation of the reasons for the insufficient implementation of recycling in the car life-cycle as outlined in the previous chapters, and to ultimately provide solutions to advance the circular economy of automotive plastics.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 5. A SCOT Analysis, Future Perspectives and Scenarios on Recycling

Abstract

Even people with very little time still want to benefit from comprehending automotive plastics recycling challenges and opportunities. In pursuance of a very simple and clear outline of the current usage of recycled plastics in the automotive sector, a SCOT analysis was performed. This analysis incorporates Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, and Threats, thus providing a holistic future outlook. It is based on an iterative process including expert interviews and literature reviews, and was tested and revised together with leading experts from all the relevant industries to compile a very short, comprehensible, real-world analysis.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 6. The Recycling Renaissance: Solutions and Practical Tools to Advance Automotive Recycling

Abstract

So what should we do now? Many people are already aware that sustainability is the next major requirement, but how can we improve sustainability in the automotive plastics production and recycling industry? For this reason, a roadmap to circular plastics for companies was developed. It includes a selection of wide-ranging solutions based on guidelines, expert workshops, a survey, literature reviews, discussions, and expert interviews. To improve the circular usage of automotive plastics, a roadmap was developed which can be used and implemented on various sections within the automotive plastics recycling and production system. Additionally, solutions for political and independent institutions are provided. Ultimately, we need to establish an economy and society that meets objectives and rules mainly to prevent environmental degradation. This can be achieved by applying the solutions provided in this chapter.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 7. The Sustainability Illusion Versus the Recycling Renaissance - A Discussion

Abstract

Are we even in theory on the right path? The results obtained for this book turned out to be highly controversial, especially when comparing theory with reality. Therefore, an extensive discussion provides an analysis of patterns, exceptions, relationships, and the generalisation of results. In fact, how significant are the results? What do we now understand with the results? And do they (dis-)agree with previous works? When considering the theories discussed in Chap. 2, such as human ecology, eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness, resource and impact decoupling, as well as corporate sustainability, it becomes clear that these notions offer valuable strategies to improve sustainability in the economic world. However, the results from Chaps. 3 and 4 show that these theories still remain mostly theories. Many companies know in theory how to apply sustainability, Ecodesign, however you might call it. However, many of them incorporate sustainability not as a vision, but as a way to achieve compliance with the law. This is now unravelled in a discussion of a possible sustainability illusion followed by an investigation of the chance of a recycling renaissance, and whether this is the right path for the automotive plastics production and recycling system.

David Schönmayr

Chapter 8. Why Automotive Recycling is an Opportunity – An Executive Summary

Abstract

The entire book in a nutshell: nearly impossible! But you will find a reflection of the main results to establish a concise outline of this book. The structure of this summary is similar to the general organisation of this book, starting with the issues of industrial sustainability in general, followed by reviewing the plastics life-cycle, continuing by outlining automotive plastics sustainability with the focus on the ecological aspect, and finally depicting the solutions as a chance to improve the automotive plastics production and recycling system.

David Schönmayr

Backmatter

Titel: Automotive Recycling, Plastics, and Sustainability
verfasst von: David Schönmayr
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-57400-4
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57399-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57400-4