Renault's parts suppliers must be involved if the recycling rate is to be increased to over 85%. For its vehicles currently under development, Renault has asked its suppliers to take part in the creation of processes. Suppliers already participate actively in economic aspects and production quality.

In terms of recycling rates, an average 75% of vehicle mass is made up of ferrous and nonferrous metals, a large part of which is recovered from shredders. Of the remaining 10%, one half is pollution control and parts and the other half the materials removed by dismantlers.


2) The distribution network's role in ELV and ELP processing

ELVs come from four sources: insurance companies, individuals, administrations, pounds and distribution networks.

When a new vehicle is purchased, the ELVs taken back by Renault's distribution network are sent to organisms that handle collection and treatment. Every year, 25,000 ELVs are collected by Renault's distribution network in France. In 2005, Renault signed four agreements with two shredders and two dismantler groups (associated with waste professionals) for the treatment of ELVs collected in the network.

Our distribution network is progressively being involved at three levels:

- delivering ELVs to authorized collection centers
- informing end customers on collection center addresses
- introducing collection and treatment contracts for all products and parts removed during repair work.

The workshops in Renault's European distribution network annually turn out some one million batteries, 600,000 polypropylene bumpers and 100,000 catalytic converters. To process these end-of-life parts, Renault has set up a large-scale processing system, with recyclers that transform the parts into raw material and parts manufacturers that use them to make new parts.


Standard exchange

Standard exchange has its role to play in implementing the EU Directive on ELV processing and is also an integral part of Renault's recycling policy.

Used parts are collected by the manufacturer in its distribution network. They are then returned to the spare parts warehouse at Flins, sorted on the platform, and reconditioned at Group facilities - engines and manual gearboxes at the Choisy-le-Roi site in the Paris region and automatic gearboxes at the powertrain site in Ruitz, France - or at reconditioners, according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Renault works in partnership with 20 reconditioning plants in Europe, Turkey and Morocco.

Reconditioning follows an industrial process: complete dismantling, sorting, reconditioning and replacing defect parts, systematic replacement of wear parts by new parts, cleaning, reassembling and inspecting.

Standard exchange provides owners of old Renault vehicles with reconditioned spare parts at low prices (30% to 50% lower than equivalent new spare parts) and keeps vehicle off-road times down to a minimum. The typical buyer of a standard exchange part is the owner of a seven-year-old vehicle with an average 100,000 km on the clock.

The Renault range features some 2,600 line items covering 14 powertrain product families: engines, cylinder heads, starters, alternators, manual gearboxes, automatic gearboxes, injection pumps, turbochargers, radiators, clutches, transmissions, steering, brake calipers, and air-conditioning blowers. This family is growing with the arrival of new electronic parts from navigation systems.

Standard exchange, treated with the same demanding quality requirements as an original Renault part, benefits from a 12-month warranty with unlimited mileage.

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