Recycling oriented design
"Recycling-oriented design" means designing products from the start to be recyclable, increasing the efficiency of the recycling process.
Chevrolet's recycling-oriented design strategy is an important element of our product responsibility. Our objective is to conserve precious material and energy resources by reducing waste:
- during vehicle production
- at the end of a vehicle’s life
This strategy rests on two principles:
1. Recycling oriented design
All Chevrolet design teams are required to follow "recyclability/recoverability" guidelines during a vehicle's development phase. We aim to support both Chevrolet engineers and suppliers to:
- develop vehicles and components which have recyclability built into them
- analyse parts, components and vehicles in terms of their recyclability and recoverability (the ease with which parts can be recycled at the end of life)
Chevrolet uses recycled materials which are also known as "recyclates" wherever technically feasible and economically viable.
Our recycling team takes every effort to maintain:
- high quality look and feel
- mechanical and thermal durability
- performance standards
Quality is never compromised – The comparable quality of recycled and new materials is so good that they are no longer being restricted to 'hidden parts'. They are used for many visible parts as well.
2. Development and implementation of material "cycles" for vehicle production
The chart below shows how recycling oriented design fits into the overall cycle. Recycling-oriented design forms a key part of our overall integrated product responsibility.
Integrated product responsibility
1) Development
- Recycling oriented design
- Life cycle assessments
- Avoidance of critical materials
2) Production
- Use of recycled Materials (recyclates)
3) Usage
- Dealership disposal (waste management)
- Spare parts
4) Recovery
- Vehicle recovery
- De-pollution and pre-treatment
- EU directive