Energy and CO2 Benefit Assessment of Reused Vehicle Parts through a Material Flow Approach

Abstract

The aim of this study is to quantitatively evaluate the benefits of reused vehicle parts through a material flow approach. The energy consumed by new components for vehicle repairing can be saved. Moreover, an appropriate use of materials obtained from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) contributes to waste reduction. Each reused part has different material compositions, weights, and demand; thus, the total benefit is evaluated using inventory analysis by introducing the definition of embodied energy and CO2 emissions. The Japanese ELV market was taken as a case study, and the results show that energy and CO2 saved by reusing parts are approximately 35.3 GJ and 1,887 kg-CO2 per vehicle, and 111 PJ and 6 MM ton-CO2 for the market in Japan. Finally, possible measures to boost the current benefits are discussed.