Mobility and Sustainability.

Environmental protection is increasingly an integral component of the entire process chain from product planning and product development right up to the recovery of the scrap vehicle. Against this background, many activities are running even in the development of a new Volkswagen, which not only support the long life of the vehicle, but also continuously improve the subsequent recovery.

Targets and Information

Since as early as 1994 there has been a group-wide environmental standard (VW 91102) at Volkswagen. This standard gives the designers many targets and aids for the construction of vehicles and vehicle components geared towards recovery. It applies to all new projects and helps to continuously improve the recovery properties of Volkswagen products. New findings and changing statutory requirements are incorporated in the environmental standard by experts.

The currency of the environmental standard is reviewed within the context of the annual certification of the Environmental Management System according to ISO 14001. The knowledge of the designers and suppliers on the subject of environmental protection and recovery is regularly updated by means of internal seminars and courses.

The good recovery properties of a vehicle are one of many important development goals that are in the focus of the engineers at Volkswagen.

Fig. 1: Requirements and Conflicts of Goals in Vehicle Development

Prevention of Pollution

One particular focus is the prevention of pollutants. It is important to ensure that the materials used in the vehicle do not result in any damage to man and the environment. This applies not only to the creation and usage phase of the vehicle, but also for its subsequent recovery.

As early as November 1993 Volkswagen summarised the extensive targets and laws on the prevention of pollutants in an internal standard for designers and suppliers (VW 91101). This standard not only records substances banned by law, but also substances whose use is deemed to be of concern for man and the environment.

Since then, the prevention of pollutants in Volkswagen products has been regulated according to a standard drawn up in the German Association of the Car Industry (VDA 232-101), which is naturally regularly reviewed and adapted to current requirements.

A central control group was set up for the implementation of substance bans (specifically for lead, chrome VI and mercury) in addition to the already established material management. Here, Volkswagen's work is coordinated and the incorporation of 3,600 direct suppliers ensured. The requirements were met on time by adjusting the delivery conditions and vehicle specifications, by means of additional written conformity declarations and by means of many seminars and workshops.

Fig. 2: The Banned Heavy Metals

Use of Recyclates

The protection of primary raw materials and the closure of material cycles is also an important goal in the development of a new Volkswagen. That is why the use of quality assured recyclates in almost all vehicle components is not only generally permitted, but is explicitly required both in the cross-project environmental specification and in the project-specific component specifications. Requirements for the use of recyclates are their adequately long-term availability for series production and an economical purchase price in comparison to primary raw materials.

Fig. 3: Wheel Housing made of Polypropylene (PP) Recyclate, VW Touran, Model Year 2003

In this connection, the recyclates obviously also have to meet the same high quality requirements from Volkswagen as the primary raw materials. Poorer qualities are consistently rejected in order not to jeopardise the safety, reliability and long life of the vehicles and thus also meet the customer demands.

Labelling Components
A voluntary internal regulation for the labelling of materials was introduced for the first time at Volkswagen in December 1993. In May 1997, this regulation was replaced by a standard regulation for the labelling of materials passed by all German carmakers (VDA 260).

Since then all plastic components at Volkswagen across the world have been labelled without weight limitations. The only requirement for the labelling is that the components are large enough for a legible label.

In 2003, the European Commission decided that plastic parts should be labelled according to ISO standards (Commission decision 2003/138/EC from 27 February 2003). All components are therefore now labelled in accordance with ISO standards at Volkswagen. Labelling according to ISO standards is to a great extent the same as the previous labelling according to VDA 260.

Fig. 4: Material Labelling using Stickers in the boot Floor Covering/Rear Carpet of the Polo A04