Thinking about environmental issues from vehicle design to recycling
At every step of the vehicle life cycle, the teams at Citroën work hard to keep automotive environmental impact to a minimum by monitoring consumption, CO2 emissions and pollutants, maintaining mindful use of natural resources, improving recyclability and more.
Citroën is committed to:
Thinking about environmental issues right from the design stage of its products and services
Implementing circular economy principles, including material recycling and reuse.
DESIGN
Eco-friendly design is about ensuring we make progress on sustainable mobility, going above and beyond compliance with the automotive industry’s environmental regulations. At Citroën, this is reflected in a large part of our research and innovation being dedicated to clean technology and green materials.
Hybrid vehicles
Launched in 2019, Citroën C5 Aircross Plug-in Hybrid is the foundation stone for Citroën’s electrification strategy. With Citroën C5 X, the range of hybrid vehicles has since expanded.
Electric vehicles
For city driving that’s more environmentally-friendly, Citroën has a wide range of electric solutions, from ë-C4 to ë-SpaceTourer, not to mention its entire range of light commercial vehicles now available in electric mode.
Increasingly efficient engines
At Citroën, we are constantly working to optimise our Petrol and Diesel combustion drive chains, including with a large range of Stop & Start features and FAP and SCR technology.
A new generation of automatic gearboxes
Citroën’s high-performance range of gearboxes expanded in 2018 with the addition of the 8-speed automatic gearbox (EAT8), which offers an even greater reduction in fuel consumption as well as improved driving experience.
USING GREEN MATERIALS
A proactive approach
Biosourced materials (polymers made from renewable resources instead of petrochemicals)
There are two main advantages to using these :
It reduces the use of fossil-fuel plastics
It promotes the development of plastic recycling facilities by increasing their throughput
Citroën has been rolling out an ambitious plan for using green materials since 2008. In 2018, they accounted for around 30% of the total polymer mass in our vehicles, compared to an average of 6% in 2007.
REDUCING EMISSIONS AND CONSUMPTION
Citroën uses a wide range of technological solutions specifically designed to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. We’ll also be able to use the new and emerging hybrid and electric engines to create vehicles that are even more environmentally-friendly.
Citroën is aiming to make 70% of its range available in electrified versions by 2023, and 100% by 2025, with mild-hybrid, rechargeable hybrid, and 100% electric solutions on offer.
NEW CITROËN C5 AIRCROSS
An example of how we use recycled and natural materials
On average, New Citroën C5 Aircross contains 31% recycled and natural materials.
Around 85 polymer-based parts incorporate recycled and natural materials such as hemp fibres in the side door panel, recycled polyamide in the electric fan unit, air filters and cooler, and recycled polyethylene in the boot carpet.
PRODUCTION
Citroën manufactures decarbonised vehicles using an industrial tool that can control the impact it has and respond to key environmental issues.
PLANTATIONS
One of the initiatives taken by our plants is to rehabilitate areas to plant native species.
ECO-GRAZURE
Conservation grazing is another example of initiatives taken on our industrial sites.
BIODIVERSITY
Our production sites have a considerable range in managing their biodiversity.
PRESERVING NATURAL HABITATS
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AT OUR PLANTS
Citroën is responding to environmental issues by :
Helping to tackle global warming
Lowering pollution, including pollutants released into the air and water
Preserving natural habitats and biodiversity, and using less natural resources - especially water
Reducing the amount of waste produced and adding value to it
THE ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION
We have been working towards certification for over 10 years and are now seeing the results in our plants, all of which are now ISO 14001 certified.
This standard was created in 1996. Its requirements include that plants are capable of monitoring, controlling, and measuring the effects of processes on the environment, meaning that all staff require suitable training.
AFTER-SALES
To encourage points of sale and repair shops to take steps towards better waste management, Citroën are setting up waste recycling and valuation initiatives.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
In response to the increasing need to protect our environment, Citroën is committed to 3 things:
Automotive waste recycling and collection from approved organisations
Site compliance with national and European regulations
Traceability of waste and end-of-life parts so that they can be recycled
PARTS FROM THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Used parts
The Citroën workshops may offer their customers, for the repair of their car, an estimate based on used parts. These parts have been selected from Citroën partners. Certified in excellent condition, they are ready to be reused for repair at a lower cost, of high quality and contributing to the circular economy.
Refurbished parts
Thanks to the standard exchange of spare parts, by giving them a second life, Citroën contributes to protect the environment. Used parts from repairers are refurbished according to a strict process, with the same requirements as those of the original parts.
This range of refurbished parts is always guaranteed.
RECYCLING
Citroën is working hard to make its recycling process more efficient, by designing products which are sustainable right from the start. The aim of this is also to reduce the amount of waste produced during vehicle manufacturing, use, and recycling.
USING RECYCLED AND GREEN MATERIALS
Recycled materials
Recycled products have the same technical specifications as new ones. Their thermal and mechanical durability ensure high quality and high performance.
Green materials
The extremely high quality of green materials means that they can now be used in Citroën vehicles for both hidden and visible parts.
SETTING UP CIRCULAR ECONOMY CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEMS
Our aim at Citroën is to fully recycle our vehicles at the end of their lives. We have therefore put a vehicle life cycle analysis procedure in place where we measure vehicles’ total environmental impact from design all the way to destruction. Using this system also means we can evaluate the materials we use, and make better choices for future cars.
ECO-FRIENDLY MANAGEMENT OF END-OF-LIFE VEHICLES
7 steps for recycling a vehicle
There has been a structure set up for the environmentally-friendly collection and processing of end-of-life vehicles (ELV) within the Citroën network for over 15 years. There are 7 stages to the recycling process of a car.
STEP 1: TRADE-IN
The last owner of an end-of-life vehicle takes it to an approved trade-in centre. The approved trade-in centre then checks the vehicle and issues the required Certificate of Destruction (CoD).
STEP 2: PRE-PROCESSING AND DEPOLLUTION
The battery and tyres are removed, and the airbags neutralised. Next, our partner removes any remaining fuel and other liquids from the vehicle: engine oil, transmission oil, brake fluid, and air conditioning coolant. This pollutant waste will then have 100% of its value reinstated in their specialist treatment facility.
STEP 3: DISMANTLING FOR RE-USE
The next step consists of dismantling mechanic parts, bodywork, and electrical and electronic components. These will either be reused as used parts, or reconditioned. If it’s economically viable, materials such as plastic and glass are also salvaged for recycling at this point.
STEP 4: STORAGE
Environmentally hazardous materials are recovered and sent to companies specialising in waste recycling or destruction.
STEP 5: CRUSHING
The depolluted shells are sent to a crusher, where they are crushed and shredded into pieces only a few centimetres in size. These pieces are then sent through an initial magnetic sorting process to recover any ferrous metals (steel).
STEP 6: POST-CRUSHING
The remaining crushed material is sorted automatically, using physical properties (magnets, Eddy currents, flotation) to separate the different types of material fragments.
STEP 7: RECYCLING, RECOVERY AND LANDFILL
Once sorted, these material fragments are recycled (metals are sent to steelworks/metalworks, and certain plastics back to the plastics industry) or converted into energy (cement works, urban heating, power stations, etc.). This industrial process means that over 95% of a vehicle’s weight can be reused, recycled or upcycled, which greatly reduces the amount of final waste ultimately sent to specialist landfill sites.
RECYCLING OF YOUR CITROËN
Trade-in scheme for end-of-life vehicles
Looking after the environment has always been a central focus for us. Now, end-of-life vehicle recycling has become a legal requirement.
This means that owners of any end-of-life Citroën vehicles can trade them in for free, providing that they fulfil certain conditions (listed below).
So we can make sure that your vehicle is recycled in the most environmentally-friendly way possible, we have commissioned a team of independent experts to check that vehicle returns are carried out correctly, and in compliance with current legislation. They also certify that our Partners fulfil all legal recycling requirements. This means that at each of their sites, all processes and documents relating to incoming and outgoing vehicles must comply with requirements set out by Citroën.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT RIGHT FROM THE START
To make sure that all Citroën products can be properly recycled, our research and development teams follow recyclability and reuse processes.
These are also used by suppliers, and help us to analyse vehicle parts and components in terms of their recyclability and potential for reuse.
The conditions for sustainable design are:
A range of sustainable materials
Depollution as a design factor
Deconstruction as a design factor.
TRADE-IN CONDITIONS OF YOUR VEHICLE
You can trade in your end-of-life Citroën vehicle free of charge if:
The vehicle has a maximum of 9 seats or is a commercial vehicle weighing less than 3.5 tonnes;
The vehicle is registered in Ireland;
The vehicle still has all its essential parts;
The vehicle does not contain any other waste;
The vehicle’s original paperwork is returned at the same time as the vehicle.
VEHICLE LIFE CYCLE
From design to destruction
DEVELOPMENT
Life cycle analysis
Selection of sustainable materials
PRODUCTION
Use of recycled materials
ACTIVE LIFE
Waste management and disposal by approved repairers
