Annual Report 2024

Overall
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The Netherlands scores top marks in recycling cars and car batteries. Almost 99% of a car is reused or usefully applied.

Paul Dietz
General Director ARN

Introduction

Thanks to an excellent partner and knowledge network, we have been safeguarding the recycling of cars, and now also car batteries, for many years. The knowledge and data we have built up allow us to now contribute to the circular economy of the automotive sector on multiple fronts.

Review 2024

Diverse dynamics in chains

The car and car battery chains have their own dynamics. But in both, the urgency to recover and reuse raw materials is growing.

Read the chapter

Car recycling

After a previous decline, the supply of car wrecks increased again by 16% in 2024.

Recycling percentage

98.8%

of offered car wrecks in the Netherlands are usefully applied, which is more than the 95% prescribed by the EU.

203
car dismantling companies

The consolidation trend continues; ARN counts fewer affiliated companies, but they have a relatively larger share in the total supply of car wrecks.

Market share

85.3%

share in the supply of car wrecks in the Netherlands.

Ready for dismantling

How many cars are deregistered annually to be dismantled?

Car batteries

Car batteries last longer than expected. Yet the supply is likely to double every year.

Car batteries recycled

362,869kg

Supply of car batteries is rising rapidly

Schema van batterijkernexplosie en portaalopties

My Battery Collection Portal

10,000

registered in just 20 months!

Plans and programs

In search of circular models

Avoiding CO2 through reuse

In February 2025, ARN, together with RAI Aftermarket and Stiba, introduced an online CO₂ calculator to stimulate the reuse of car parts. Because why use a new part when a used part is just as good? And saves on CO₂ (and money...).

From AI to chemistry

Higher-quality reuse requires purer recovery of materials. And that in turn requires more expertise in various areas: from AI to chemistry, and from design to identification solutions. ARN shares and connects knowledge.

Refrigerant is 'hot'

The demand for recycled refrigerant is high. The quality that comes through ARN is therefore top-notch. But the supply lags behind, while there should be more of it. Where is it?

Dealing with the Green Deal

Europe is pushing hard for circularity. Rules in the new End-of-life regulation are therefore becoming stricter. Fine, as long as they are feasible. ARN advocates for professionalism and pragmatism.

The value we create

Our strategy

ARN contributes to the realization of the circular economy of cars and car batteries. And does so by sharing knowledge, connecting parties, ensuring the quality of recycling, and initiating innovative projects.

The value creation model captures in one image the social, ecological, and economic value of car dismantling and recycling through the chain collaboration in the Netherlands and the role/contribution of ARN.

Our Strategy Value Creation Model

Stroomdiagram bedrijfsmodel: input tot impact proces.

About ARN

The Organisation Behind the Chain

The recycling chain consists of a network of over 200 businesses: from car importers to dealerships, and from car dismantling companies to recyclers and processors.

Read the Entire Chapter

Organization and Management

ARN works together with Stiba, Bovag, and RAI to achieve European goals for sustainable management of cars and car batteries after they have been discarded.

Vision Mission

Ensuring now and in the future that vehicle and battery recycling takes place responsibly and efficiently.

Ambition 2050

Supporting the chain towards circularity in 2050.

Innovation

Innovation for high-quality reuse is gaining importance at ARN.

European Collaboration

ARN takes the lead in promoting European collaboration.

Quality Management

Working on the quality of the chain starts at home with ISO 9001 and 14001.

Sanne van Haastere
Financial Controller

I'm glad that this administrative backbone of battery recycling works well right from the start. We would have hardly been able to handle even the current processing of about 500 registrations per month otherwise, let alone the volumes we expect in the coming years.

On October 15, 2024, exactly 20 months after the launch, 10,000 batteries were registered in the online portal My Battery Collection. With this portal, ARN has control over and insight into battery recycling registration.

Man glimlacht voor stapel autobanden, buitenlocatie.

Kees-Jan Riemersma
Lintire

All incoming tires are inspected for potential reuse. If that's not possible, they go into the shredder. The rubber shreds contain useful and usable raw materials. Part of the shredder residue is used to make sidewalk tiles and shoe soles, among other things. Another part is suitable for the pyrolysis industry.

Car dismantling companies affiliated with ARN have worn-out car tires collected and processed by Granuband or Lintire. “There is no more sustainable processing than this.”

Bouwvakker met helm en veiligheidskleding op werklocatie

Wout Kusters
HKS Metals

Through a special method of shredding and post-shredding, we can identify and separate different elements in the scrap. We then turn scrap metal into new metal. It's already possible to make a new panel for a car that consists largely of recycled aluminum. That's a significant circular step.

“In October 2024, HKS Metals, a subsidiary of TSR Recycling, received the ARN Award for the groundbreaking product TSR40. This innovation has made it possible to produce much purer scrap.”

Janet Kes
Theme Leader Recycling BCC

ARN has of course learned a lot in the car recycling chain and is the designated partner to ensure that the links in the battery recycling chain connect well with each other. Besides connecting parties, we pay a lot of attention to innovation

“Recycling processes can be improved and efficiently scaled up, and we utilize scientific knowledge to establish new metallurgical processing methods. It goes without saying that the focus is on reuse of the highest quality possible.”

Pieter Kuiper
Growing with Green Steel

In 2024, we mainly did a lot of desk research; from 2025 onwards, we start putting words into action. Up to and including 2031, we focus on reducing contamination in steel scrap, for example through better separation by applying AI in dismantling and sorting, and circular design.

“But we also research refining when sorting offers no solution, and we look into processing options for reuse. Of course, the auto recycling chain has a prominent position within the Recovery theme, but we also look at streams outside of it.”

Marcel Leuven
ARN Technical Innovation

I still receive daily questions about the operation of the drainage installation. Meanwhile, I'm mainly focused on the new materials in cars. The question is always: "What can we do with them?"

The last drainage installation was transferred to ownership last year. And Marcel Leuven is still working on it. “I still get questions about its operation, but now I’m mainly focused on the new materials in cars. Can we do something with them?”

Frans van der Werf
Stellantis

We don't need to worry about whether we comply with what is legally expected of us, and reporting to the government is taken care of. Our experience is that this involves a lot of work. For us, it would be a huge challenge to figure out how to professionally dismantle, transport, and process battery packs or modules. Thanks to the ARN Management Plan, all of that is arranged.

In 2024, Stellantis rapidly introduced the Leapmotor brand. Brand director Frans van der Werf: “At such a moment, it’s ideal that there’s already an infrastructure for EV battery recycling with ARN.”

Man staat voor geparkeerde auto op autokerkhof

Willem Stoppelenburg
A-Team Automotive

It's crazy to produce new parts when used parts are just as good. In France, it's already mandatory for garages to offer both used and new parts. We should make that mandatory in the Netherlands as well.

In almost 40 years, A-Team has developed into a modern car dismantling company. Parts are dismantled, inspected, photographed, and placed online, and then stored in the warehouse until a sale. “We ship throughout the country, and even to the other side of the world. Literally to Australia.”

Annual Report 2024

Annual Report 2024

Overall
top scorer!