The Moment to Make Automotive Steel More Circular Is Now - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights the urgent need for the European Union to enhance circularity in automotive steel production. Despite the automotive sector being the EU’s second-largest steel consumer, only 6% of the steel used in cars comes from recycled scrap, far below the 56% average across all sectors. This low recycling rate is primarily due to contamination—especially copper from parts like wire harnesses—that occurs when old vehicles are shredded, rendering the steel unsuitable for reuse in new cars. The upcoming revision of the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation presents a critical opportunity to address this issue by introducing mandatory recycled steel content targets and quality standards. To unlock a market for higher-quality recycled steel, the article argues that EU policymakers should set a target of 30% recycled steel content in new cars by 2030, coupled with local content requirements to support European recyclers and reduce reliance on imported raw materials. Additionally, quality standards must be established to limit copper contamination in shredded scrap