Erhvervshus Midtjylland has been a growth spurt for auto recycling’s green transition, says sustainability manager Lise Korsgaard.
Salling Autogenbrug, based in Skive Municipality, Denmark, cracked the code for a greener future. Collaborating with Erhvervshus Midtjylland, Salling Autogenbrug pioneers disassembly techniques, repurposing materials, reducing waste, and slashing CO2 emissions.
Around 1000 cars end up as scrap every year at Salling Autogenbrug in Skive, Denmark. Nationally, it is 120,000 cars.
“It turns into large amounts of waste, and therefore it is crucial for the climate how we handle it”, says Lise Korsgaard, who runs Salling Autogenbrug together with her two brothers.
In recent years, the company has been in the process of a green transition following a proposal from Business Skive to apply for EU funds through Erhvervshus Midtjylland.
This has provided significant growth opportunities for the company, which today has 18 employees. Until 2 years ago, the company was located in Nordsalling, but after an extensive fire, it has moved to Skive in a newly renovated domicile, which is three times as large.
“We have been given space to step up our green transition, which was kick-started by Erhvervshus Midtjylland. In the beginning, we took tiny baby steps, but in the last year, things have gone really fast”, emphasizes Lise Korsgaard.
Today, Salling Autogenbrug completely disassembles the cars in order to reuse as much as possible. A car weighs approx. 1000 kg, and before 300 kg ended up as waste. But we have managed to reduce that amount to below 100 kg.
“We did not know in advance how long it would take to disassemble the cars and what the remaining materials could be used for. But e.g. harnesses and airbags are removed and sold to the fashion and furniture industry”, says Lise Korsgaard.
So far, Salling Autogenbrug is the only one in the industry to do so. But they don’t have enough seat belts and airbags to cover the demand, so Lise Korsgaard hopes to inspire her colleagues.
As a first mover in our industry, we have had no one to spar with or look up to. But with the contact with Erhvervshus Midtjylland, we have gained some playmates who have helped us develop a green business model”.
The money Salling Autogenbrug has received to hire external advisers, i.a, in a green circular transition, according to Lise Korsgaard, the company could not have paid for itself.
“But we have learned a lot from them, and it’s great to live in a country where there is help to make a business out of green thinking. We have cracked the code for that because of the many offers and programs from Erhvervshus Midtjylland and their huge help in the application process”.
Salling Autogenbrug has, among other things, developed a data system to handle residual materials. And a CO2 calculator, which documents how much CO2 emissions are reduced when customers hand over a car to them.
Visit www.sallingautogenbrug.dk
This article was originally published at erhvervshusmidtjylland.dk
