Vehicles

Automobile production is among the world's most resource-intensive and polluting industry — and it is expanding globally. In the U.S., it consumes the majority of the rubber, iron, and lead, and it is also a top user of steel, zinc, and copper. A significant proportion of the massive pollution from these primary industries is attributable to automobile production.

The Clean Car Campaign (CCC) has established a Clean Car Standard, which establishes best practices throughout the vehicles’ lifecycle. Unfortunately very few automakers have adopted a best practices approach and continue to rely on outdated technologies like the internal combustion engine. Automakers continue to use heavy metals and contaminated plastics, like PVC, which present environmental and human health problems during the production and end-of-life stages of the vehicles’ life cycle. To complement the efforts of other groups working to improve fuel efficiency and implement cleaner technologies, Clean Production Action is working with members of the Clean Car Campaign to determine cleaner car design.

We aim to:

• establish extended producer responsibility (EPR) for end-of-life vehicles and promote the design of cleaner vehicle products (See Extended Producer Responsibility section for more information);
• produce standards to influence choice of materials in vehicles;
• monitor and track EPR developments in Europe and Asia;
• analyze the development of cleaner vehicle products.

For more information on the Clean Car Campaign, please visit www.cleancarcampaign.org

Moving Towards Sustainable Plastics: A Report Card on the Six Leading Automakers. This report ranks Toyota ahead of other car manufacturers in its use of renewable-based plastic and recycling. Download (pdf)

Toxic at Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safe Alternatives. This report analyzes hazardous chemicals in dust from inside cars, reveals the source of the problem, and examines which auto companies are doing the most to make car interiors less toxic. Download the report and fact sheets at www.ecocenter.org/toxicatanyspeed.shtml