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For some, going to the recycling center means you’ve grown old and are coming to your end. Not for me: I am a BMW iX1 pre-series. For those who don’t know what that is, think of it this way: I’m a sort of pioneer. I was a test vehicle produced to identify potential problems before the model goes on sale to the public. Having achieved that goal, I find myself here, practically new and very excited to take the next step. Actually, I have been here before. Well, at least parts of me have. Even now, BMW vehicles are made from up to thirty percent recycled and reused materials on average. That explains why I feel so at home here.
We are able to identify parts of the vehicle which are maybe not as good as they could be. And we communicate this within the company in order to improve the product at the end of the day.
Head of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center in Unterschleißheim
The recycling process is all about closing material cycles, preserving resources, and reusing them more efficiently. Everyone at this recycling and dismantling center is working on new solutions to maximize the recycling rate in the future including Alexander Schüll, Head of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center in Unterschleißheim. With this goal in mind, here is where the recycling process begins for me and for all other BMW vehicles.
The first step for us is being welcomed at this center. This is where the certificate of destruction is issued, which is required for the final decommissioning of the vehicle at the registration office. For me and other BMW vehicles ready to move into the next stage of our lives, this is where our new chapter officially begins.
Checking in, I noticed that there is a movie star among us. How exciting! It is a BMW vehicle that was specially modified for the film set. Here’s a fun fact: the BMW Group has been producing vehicles for blockbuster movies like the Mission: Impossible franchise since 2011. After filming wrapped, this BMW movie star was brought back here to be at least 95 percent recycled. What an action-packed life that must have been! Who knows, maybe I’ll be a movie star in my next life too (➜ Read also: Two Munich Characters in Hollywood).
We remove the high-voltage battery first, which is then prepared for recycling. The rest of the vehicle is then further processed in the standardised recycling process.
Head of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center in Unterschleißheim
What exists within a vehicle’s life cycle should remain inside for as long as possible. Here we get prepared for a safe process, battery first. At this workstation, for example, the refrigerant of the air conditioning system and the brake fluid are extracted; cooling water, engine and transmission oils are drained off; and the fuel is pumped out using a special extraction unit with an integrated drill. Once this is done, we all feel a lot lighter and relaxed.
During dismantling, parts are removed for further use and for material recycling. This includes downcycling and upcycling. Valuable materials such as precious metals from the catalyst are recycled in a separate material loop. Upcycling is the reuse of discarded materials for high-value applications, whereas downcycling means recycling discarded materials for low-value applications. Honestly, I’m just happy if most of my parts stay inside the circle and find a new purpose in life.
Each and every vehicle which BMW plans to bring on the road in the coming years needs to be at least 95 percent recyclable.
Head of the BMW Group Recycling and Dismantling Center in Unterschleißheim
So this is the part that might be the first thing some of you think of when you hear the word recycling: smashing old cars. When you put it that way, even that action movie star might get a little scared. But not me. Here, the remaining body of a BMW vehicle gets pressed down in a compactor. Obviously, the thought of being smashed to pieces could be frightening. But considering that my next life begins after this station, I find it very comforting. At the end of this process, all the remaining fragments in the car can be separated so they can each start a new life. Plastics, textiles, iron, and non-ferrous metals are recycled. Maybe they will become a refrigerator, a can or even a new BMW. Life is full of surprises, and that’s the beauty of it.
This is not the end. Not even close. It’s only the beginning of a new life cycle. As I said, I've been here before. And I’m pretty sure I’ll be back again and again. My life cycle has been carefully engineered and improved to preserve resources and protect the environment. Every step of the way from the very first design idea to this stop at the recycling center (➜ Read also: Sustainable materials). This is how circularity works (➜ Read also: Focus on circular economy) It is an ecosystem for life that allows us to live in harmony with our planet. Whether it’s on a film set in the form of a new BMW or as a refrigerator in your kitchen, no matter what my next journey will be, I can feel good knowing that people are working hard to make it as sustainable as possible.
Author: Narges Derakhshan; Art: Verena Aichinger; Lucas Lemuth; Illustrations: Annu Kilpeläinen
