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Turku UAS tests car glass recycling for new ELV targets

Research by Turku University of Applied Sciences shows that meeting stricter ELV targets for automotive glass recycling is feasible but requires process changes. Controlled breakage with dedicated collection systems can efficiently recover high-quality glass, while improved PVB separation and automation are key to making large-scale recycling both compliant and commercially viable.

Researchers at Turku University of Applied Sciences work on solutions for recycling car glass to respond to changing ELV Regulation.

At Turku University of Applied Sciences, a recycling project was set up to find solutions on how automotive glass can be removed, recovered, and recycled safely, efficiently, and profitably. The project was conducted in cooperation with Finnish companies, including Suomen Autokierrätys Oy, Oili Jalonen Oy, Stena Recycling Oy, and Uusioaines Oy.

Upcoming legislation changes need new solutions

The ELV Directive aims to prevent and limit waste from ELVs, improve environmental performance and promote reuse, recycling, and recovery of components. The amendment to the ELV Directive is reshaping practices across the automotive recycling sector.

The revised directive sets a new target of 70% for recycling automotive glass into packaging glass, fiberglass, or equivalent high-value applications. For the automotive industry, this target presents a regulatory obligation, but also a business opportunity.

Turku University of Applied Sciences investigated various methods for removing car glass and researched potential solutions in collaboration with companies across the value chain to stay ahead of the new legislation.

Current state of car glass

Automotive glass accounts for only about 3% of a vehicle’s mass, but it adds up, given the number of end-of-life vehicles. In Finland alone, around 80,000 ELVs are processed annually, generating an estimated two million kilograms of glass.

Passenger vehicles typically contain two main types of glass: tempered glass (side and rear windows) and laminated glass (windshields). Tempered glass requires less effort to be recycled, while laminated glass is more difficult due to its structure.

Windshields consist of two layers of glass with a plastic interlayer between them, which must be removed before recycling the glass.

Currently, the glass material in end-of-life vehicles is frequently broken during collection and transport, especially when vehicles are stacked or handled with grapples. In Finland, fewer than 20% of ELVs arrive at dismantling facilities with intact side windows, so changes are needed throughout the entire dismantling chain to ensure material collection.

Current separation technologies used in shredding facilities do not enable the recovery of glass material after crushing; therefore, windows must be efficiently removed before they can break under uncontrolled conditions.

Close-up of laminated windshield showing fractured glass and PVB interlayer

Technician removing intact side window from car door during dismantling

Safe and efficient ways of removing glass material

Multiple major dismantling tests were conducted between 2024 and 2025. The tests provided valuable information on the challenges and the need for solutions in recovering glass from vehicles.

One pilot focused on dismantling an entire vehicle in accordance with the renewed legislation. Dismantling the entire car door allows the side windows to be fully recovered without breakage. However, attempting to remove tempered glass intact is time-consuming, as it requires one hour of labour per vehicle. This makes the tested method uneconomical and clearly impractical on a large scale.

Another test shifted strategy. Instead of preserving the side windows intact, controlled breakage was tested in combination with specialized collection equipment. A glass collection trolley was positioned beneath the door opening to capture fragments upon breakage. The results were promising, with an average of 12,4 kilograms of tempered glass recovered per vehicle. This brings the collection rate to nearly 75%, exceeding the EU target.

This collection method also provided an excellent quality of recycled glass with a minimal contamination rate. The time taken to collect glass was calculated to be around 5 minutes per vehicle, bringing the total time to collect 1000 kilograms of car glass to 6-7 hours. This calculation does not include the time required to transport vehicles but provides insight into the potential for automotive glass recycling.

Mobile glass collection unit placed next to dismantled vehicle for recovery

Operator using collection system to recover glass from ELV in recycling yard

Recovering PVB for financial feasibility

Laminated glass consists of two glass layers bonded with a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) plastic interlayer, which makes recycling more difficult. Clean PVB is a valuable secondary raw material with the potential to increase the profitability of windshield recycling.

During the project, multiple methods were tested to effectively remove the PVB film from the windshield, and its reusability was investigated. Contamination with glass fragments reduces the reusability of laminated glass, but it can still be used in other industries as a coating material. The project showed that separating PVB from glass is technically feasible with less than 1% impurity content, but it requires additional processing.

End-of-life vehicle with shattered side window before glass recovery

Crushed automotive glass fragments prepared for recycling processing

The project showed that the international market value of recycled PVB with less than 1% contaminants is around 1,000–2,000€ per ton, indicating that proper processing of the material can be financially profitable. Developing different methods of removing the valuable film between windshields is necessary to improve the circularity of the automotive industry.

A need for new solutions – Potential of machine vision and automation

More efficient and viable methods for dismantling vehicle components, not only car glass, must be developed to meet future regulatory targets. Increased automation could reduce labour intensity, improve process consistency, and enhance occupational safety in the removal of automotive parts. Significant research is still required, particularly in developing reliable machine vision systems capable of recognizing different vehicle models and identifying the appropriate tools for each application.