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An Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment of End-of-Life Vehicles Management in Romania

Author

Listed:
  • Florenta Dinita

    (Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, “Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 73 Prof. D. Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi, Romania)

  • George Barjoveanu

    (Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, “Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 73 Prof. D. Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi, Romania)

  • Carmen Teodosiu

    (Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, “Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 73 Prof. D. Mangeron Blvd., 700050 Iasi, Romania)

Abstract

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management in Romania using a life-cycle assessment (LCA). It focuses on the current scenario of ELV waste generation and models current ELV practices like reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and final disposal with the goal of understanding the environmental impacts and benefits of the ELV recycling system and the trade-offs needed to improve its environmental performance. The investigation is based on a statistical analysis of retired cars in 2020 and Eurostat data on ELV waste composition. The results indicate that current practices meet the 85% recovery target, with recycling being the dominant method. The environmental analysis shows that recycling provides the greatest net environmental benefits, while landfilling has negative impacts, especially in climate change and marine eco-toxicity categories. An optimized scenario, which minimizes landfilling and increases recycling, leads to significant improvements in air- and resource-related categories and shows that improving the ELV waste management practices for better dismantling, separation, and recycling is crucial for enhancing the ELV management performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Florenta Dinita & George Barjoveanu & Carmen Teodosiu, 2025. "An Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment of End-of-Life Vehicles Management in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3691-:d:1637916
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. George Barjoveanu & Florenta Dinita & Carmen Teodosiu, 2022. "Aging Passenger Car Fleet Structure, Dynamics, and Environmental Performance Evaluation at the Regional Level by Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    3. Yang, Zijun & Wang, Bowen & Jiao, Kui, 2020. "Life cycle assessment of fuel cell, electric and internal combustion engine vehicles under different fuel scenarios and driving mileages in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
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