Euro 6 Truck Recycling: could we do it better?

Looking at a list of vehicles on my desk this morning, I can see that no fewer than six of them are Euro 6 trucks. And, in my opinion and many others in the industry I imagine, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of them. Yet they are almost certainly destined for export to Africa, Malaysia or Indonesia where they’ll be turned into Euro 0 trucks that will pollute and poison the local population completely defeating the objective of their environmental credentials so proudly lauded here in the UK. Surely that’s just senseless? Couldn’t the recycling of these trucks be improved. Couldn’t we do things better?

Euro 6 is the latest level of emission standard that sets out to limit harmful exhaust emissions produced by any petrol or diesel engine. Manufacturers have been obliged to ensure that any new cars, trucks or vans do not exceed these limits since September 2015. To enter London, you must have a Euro 6, for example, and the same requirement will soon be implemented in other cities in a bid to reduce pollution.

I remember this standard coming into play and being thankful. As someone who suffers from mild asthma, any legislation that sets out to improve air quality gets a thumbs up from me. Almost six years since its introduction, I find myself increasingly wondering why, when they’ve clocked up a few miles that Euro 6 trucks are shipped off. It’s the easy disposal option, out of sight, out of mind. But, surely, we’re not getting the best value from them from a financial or environmental perspective?

Yes, many of these vehicles have a high mileage and they will need regular maintenance but, 9 times out of 10, they’re mechanically more than capable of doing a day’s work and have the capacity to do so for many more years. What’s more, when they need repairing (and they will, I’m sure!) they’ll provide work and income for garages and their commercial vehicle mechanics.

I think there’s a way that everyone can be a winner, including the environment. We really can have the best of both worlds, just like this:

· Let’s look at reusing and repurposing these trucks here in the UK first off

· At the same time, we can continue to export a percentage of Euro 6 trucks, but we must work directly with hauliers in other countries to encourage them to adopt the Euro 6 standard

· Finally, if a Euro 6 truck is on its last legs, let’s gather all the working parts and use them to repair existing vehicles both here and abroad to prolong a vehicle’s lifespan

What do you think? What’s your opinion on this topic? I’m really keen to find out what other people in the industry think and, if there’s an opportunity to do things better, we should seriously explore it. Please feel free to comment below.