INDRA SAS has been scrapping motor vehicles in France since 1985. However, even then, founder Manuel Munoz was interested in recycling the resulting raw materials.
To find a better solution to the problem of disposing of cars than simply compressing them into bales, he created an association of all the dismantling units in France so that the recyclable materials could be sorted and reused.
“We work with a network of car recycling centers where the parts are removed and sold, and the recyclable materials are dismantled to be recycled by partners,” says CEO Loïc Bey-Rozet. “We have contracts with manufacturers, insurers and municiple pounds and distribute the cars to the companies in the network.”
In 2010, the company recovered 500,000 end-of-life vehicles and recycled them through its network. Since the founder’s retirement in 2008, INDRA has been jointly owned by SITA, a specialist in global management and waste recycling, and RENAULT, a car manufacturer.
Besides its headquarters in Lyon, INDRA operates two recycling centers in Vienne and Orléans. There are over 400 recycling centers in its network. In addition to its historic recycling activity, INDRA also offers consulting and engineering.
“We advise clients on which materials are easiest to scrap and how to make them easier to dismantle,” says Mr. Bey-Rozet. “We work with the car manufacturers right at the beginning of the design process to think about what will happen to the cars at the end of their life cycle.”
A recent example is the engineering team’s contribution to the Robomate project www.robo-mate.eu (Seventh European Framework Funding Programme) with European partners that is intended to help companies dismantle and remove heavy reusable parts.
INDRA is also involved in the life project ICARRE95 (Innovative CARREcycling 95%) icarre95- programmelife.com, a project that proves it is possible to reach the European target of 95% for reuse and recovery, thus improving the market for reusable parts and the recycling of materials such as copper and plastics into short reuse circuits.
Through its engineering activities, INDRA builds turnkey car recycling centers as per the latest regulations. “The law regarding recycling has changed in recent years, and there are strict guidelines telling car scrappers what exactly has to be depolluted, what can be disposed of and which parts or materials must be recycled,” explains Mr. Bey-Rozet. “We help our partners ensure they conform with the law.”
Thanks to its extensive expertise and experience, INDRA is a sought-after partner in its home market and is now looking at export markets.
Another project pioneered by INDRA is Good Bye Car, an online portal where end users can find out the scrap value of their car and the details of their nearest dismantling unit.
“We hope to build on this concept in the future and feed reconditioned parts back into the supply chain for greater sustainability,” concludes Mr. Bey-Rozet.
