BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A)

The document details the challenges facing the German vehicle recycling industry, specifically the rise of Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) due to increased plastic use in cars. It outlines a draft policy from the German Environment Ministry (BMU) that would mandate a 'take-back' system for used vehicles. BMW, while having established programs for remanufacturing high-value components and production waste recovery, must decide whether to fight the regulation, build its own national infrastructure, or collaborate with existing dismantlers, while also considering the integration of recycled polymers into its luxury vehicle line.

• The German vehicle recycling network, consisting of approximately 4,000 dismantlers and 44 shredders, recovers nearly 75% of materials from scrapped vehicles, but the remaining 25% results in Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR), which lacks economic value and accounts for 65% of Germany's annual industrial solid waste stream.
• The increasing use of polymers in vehicle manufacturing to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency has made disassembly more complex and costly, leading to a higher percentage of ASR and reducing the residual value of vehicles.
• Germany is facing a critical shortage of waste disposal capacity; landfill facilities in Bavaria decreased by 99% from 4,000 to 40, and some sources suggest the country will run out of landfill capacity within five years.
• The German Environment Ministry (BMU) proposed a voluntary agreement in August 1990 that would require manufacturers to accept used vehicles from owners free of charge and prioritize reuse and recycling over landfilling or incineration.
• BMW has implemented a 'High-Tech recycling' program to remanufacture high-value components, such as engines and transmissions, selling them at 50 to 80% of the cost of new parts with the same warranty.
• Other German manufacturers are pursuing different waste strategies: Mercedes-Benz advocates for 'metallurgical recycling' using melt reactors to gassify plastics and create energy, while Volkswagen prefers a network of regional licensed dismantling and recovery centers.

APA

Cummings, C. A., & den Hond, F. (1993). BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A). World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-128-4_full_version_a_english.pdf

Chicago

Cummings, Christopher A., and Frank den Hond. BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A). World Resources Institute, 1993. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-128-4_full_version_a_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cummings |first1=Christopher A. |last2=den Hond |first2=Frank |title=BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A) |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1993 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-128-4_full_version_a_english.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cummings1993bayerische, author = {Cummings, Christopher A. and den Hond, Frank}, title = {{BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG (A)}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {1993}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/case_1-56973-128-4_full_version_a_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }