EPR extends responsibility up and/or down the product chain, focuses on the production system, not just on the production facility, and overlaps responsibilities for product environmental impacts among actors along the entire product chain. The automobile is highly recycled; however, about 3 million tons of auto shredder residues are disposed of in solid waste landfills each year. 

There are 3 principal End-of-Life vehicle (ELV) policies in Europe:

1) Sweden: legislation adopted to make vehicles at least 85% recyclable,

2) Netherlands: Auto Recycling Netherlands was set up to ensure that 86% of materials in ELVs are recycled,

3) The European Union (EU): ELV directive was adopted in September 2000 and should be implemented in 2002. 

The EU ELV Directive includes:

A) Producer responsibility for ELV management costs: The producers are responsible for costs of recycling cars put on the market after July 2002. After 2007, producers will be responsible for the costs of recycling all cars regardless of production dates.

B) Phase-out of toxic substances: lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium. There are exemptions for certain uses of substances (e.g. mercury in headlamps). This section includes a process for revisiting exemptions.

C) Enhanced reuse and recycling: By 2006, increase reuse and recovery to 85% by weight and reuse and recycling (for any other purpose except energy) to 80%. By 2015, increase reuse and recovery to 95% by weight and reuse and recycling to 85%.

D) Improved environmental standards for ELV management: New standards are being developed, such as the requirement of permits and inspections, the removal of hazardous materials before shredding and the mandatory use of impermeable surfaces for storage.

E) Other: Parts coding for reuse or recycling.

The environmental benefits of remanufacturing are a reduction in manufacturing energy, resource conservation, a reduction in the use of processing chemicals and a reduction in the use of casting sands and resins. Autoworkers could also benefit from EPR because it would require better worker skills, it could create or preserve jobs in assembly plants, and it can preserve in North America a competitive position with respect to European and Japanese manufacturers.