A nationally co-ordinated approach to disposing of endof- live vehicles (ELVs) is proposed by the Motor Trade Association. Zero Waste NZ Trust eports that recent figures show New Zealand‘‘s car fleet, now at 2.5 million, is getting older because of older Japanese imports. A Massey University study found that about 125,000 vehicles are de-registered every year of which about 25,000 are abandoned.

The study recommends a decomissioning charge is added to all new vehicles registered in New Zealand. European countries, and more recently Japan, have introduced charges on new cars to cover the cost of disposing of them in an environmentally safe way. The Association believes the solution lies in legislation involving a series of incentives and penalties, says spokesman Andy Cuming. A spokesman for the Ministry for the Environment says the issue of car disposal is in the ‘‘top 10‘‘ list of priorities for the ministry, but it believes talk of legislation is premature. One option is to bring vehicles under the sphere of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. There are no laws surrounding vehicle disposal and the issue is for individual councils depending on local bylaws.

Examining the environmental cost of dead vehicles

More than 25,000 vehicles are abandoned in New Zealand each year, creating an environmental headache for administrators and a cost of more than NZ$6 million for ratepayers.

Dr Sue Cassells, lecturer at Massey University‘‘s Dept of Finance, Banking and Property, studied the situation for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) for her PhD thesis in applied economics. She found that ratepayers bear the burden of the cost of abandoned vehicle disposal as only about 35 per cent of owners of abandoned vehicles are traced and costs recovered. Some cars dumped in rough terrain are never retrieved, and others remaining on private property contribute to environmental pollutions through leaking of hazardous gases and fluids and creating an eyesore.

" One in every five vehicles being deregistered is dumped" says Dr Cassells. "It is too easy for owners of old vehicles to abandon them without penalty. Changes are needed to ensure that ELVs go into the recycling system."

Dr Cassells‘‘ study, commissioned and funded by Toyota New Zealand, found the two main factors contributing to ELVs not being handed in for recycling were institutional practices not being enforced - so owners could evade responsibility for their vehicle, and no standard system for acceptance of ELVs into the recycling system. Most local authorities provide a collection point for ELVs for recycling, however charges for this service vary throughout the country.

Even vehicles brought in for recycling pose an environmental risk, Dr Cassells found, with concerns regarding some current industry practices. "There is no record of the number of vehicles being recycled and the standards and practices for removal of hazardous fluids, gases, and components are variable, so that not all ELVs being recycled undergo depollution."

As part of her study Dr Cassells assessed policies and practices used in other countries for effectiveness and for their application to New Zealand. Dr Cassells makes recommendations in four areas: legislation; institutional practice; entry to recycling and the dismantling operation. Data gaps and free-rider issues could be overcome through minor changes to the existing legislation and institutional change. One key change would be to enforce vehicle licensing irrespective of whether a vehicle is caught on the road or not. Licensing of automotive dismantlers from within the industry could ensure mandatory depollution and environmentally acceptable practice and internalize monitoring costs. Dr Cassells suggests that acceptance of ELVs free-of-charge to the recycling system would reduce the incentive to ab