In Japan, the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Act supports the transition to a circular economy. Utilizing recycled automotive parts significantly contributes to efficient resource use and energy reduction, thereby fostering a circular economy. This study assesses the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction effect of using reused parts in heavy-duty trucks from a life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. We focused on engines and transmissions (T/M) due to their high sales volume as reused components. The reduction effect is quantified by the difference in GHG emissions between manufacturing new and reuse parts. To calculate emissions for reused parts, a process model of truck disassembly was developed from a survey of a manufacturing plant, detailing inputs and equipment for dismantling and washing. New part manufacturing emissions were clarified by the disassembly survey. This analysis revealed an approximate 99% GHG reduction for both engines and T/M when reused. Future work includes considering the impact of waste oil and fluorocarbon treatment, and expanding the analysis to other reused parts beyond engines and T/M.
NOHMURA et al. (Wed,) studied this question.