End-of-life vehicle disposal: Policy proposals to resolve an environmental issue in New Zealand.

The disposal of vehicles at the end of their useful life is a rapidly growing waste management problem in New Zealand. Vehicles abandoned on public and private property impose environmental costs on society, as do some practices within the automobile recycling industry. The increasing number of vehicles entering the country will exacerbate these environmental costs. In this paper, New Zealand's abandoned vehicle problem is quantified and contributing factors identified. The end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management approaches of the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and the UK are examined, and their effectiveness assessed. Policies, such as extended producer responsibility and recycling targets are discussed in the context of an economy without domestic producers and with limited opportunities for economies of scale. Policy recommendations for New Zealand target four areas: legislation and institutional practices relating to vehicle licensing and disposal; entry of vehicles into the recycling system; information sharing; and dismantling operations. Key recommendations are the free acceptance of ELVs for recycling, an up-front disposal charge to cover the cost of de-pollution, licensing and monitoring of automotive dismantlers from within the industry, and the enforcement of vehicle licensing and disposal legislation in order to close the data gaps and overcome free-rider problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]