Volvo The Car Company Takes An Environmentally Safe Approach

The amount of parts being taken out of junkyards is just as important as fuel consumption when trying to make a vehicle more "green." Volvo has been the leader in recycling, with 85% of new vehicles built with recyclable parts, ad 95% built with recoverable materials, all done in a climate neutral manufacturing system. All materials used in the vehicles are chosen because of their degree of environmental impact, and customers can now access a Volvo's carbon footprint data by model.

Volvo has taken a holistic approach to cleaning up their vehicles, by attacking them inside and out. The highlights of this endeavor consist of:

1. Health;
2. Using resources;
3. The impact of ecological production;
4. The best disposal of vehicles.

By 2002 Volvo has succeeded in making all new vehicles at least 85% recyclable or reusable, beating the deadline of 2015 by 12 astounding years. The company has made using recycled steel, iron, and aluminum standard, while the more expensive precious metals required for catalytic converters are used again in new catalysts.

Over the past 25 years, Volvo has focused on using alternative energy sources rather than petroleum. Since 1982 - 1998 Volvo used residual heat from refineries in Torslanda, Sweden, until they wisely switched to natural gas. As of January 2008 all Volvo manufacturing plants will be using hydropower to generate its electricity. To maintain climate neutral conditions of facilities they will need to use bio-gas and wind-power. Many harmful elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium are no longer present in the manufacturing process of the production facilities at Volvo. Hypoallergenic materials, and removal of hazardous waste, have started taking place on the interior of Volvo vehicles as well.

Through the Volvo Exchange System, companies have started collecting used parts from dealers, which then become remanufactured to meet new part quality standards. Through the exchange system, we will be seeing more Volvo approved reconditioned parts for new vehicles. All Volvo models are now available in EPI, which makes each vehicle more environmentally friendly. By using an integrated approach to constructing and evaluating the “green” status of cars, Volvo has put themselves in the mainstream regarding environmentally acceptable cars from beginning to end.

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