Campaign to Remove Mercury Switches from Cars

Bailey Mylleville

NEWMOA Breaking the Mercury Cycle Conference

May 1-3, 2002

Clean Car Campaign 

A Collaboration Between: 

• Ecology Center

• Environmental Defense

• Great Lakes United

• Mercury Policy Project

• Michigan Environmental Council

• Union of Concerned Scientists

• American Council for an Energy

Efficient

Economy

The Clean Car Campaign Embodies the Principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) • Manufacturers responsibility for product life cycle impacts • EPR forges the critical link between the end-of-life products and product design

• Responsibility of products throughout their lifecycle will reduce toxicity of products and increase recyclability

Strategic Research

Mercury in Fleet

• 11.2 tons used in U.S. vehicles in 1996

• 150 million switches now on the road

Electric Arc Furnaces

• 120 U.S. facilities• Up to 10 tons of mercury released

each year

Mercury Auto Facts • Each switch contains approximately one gram of mercury.

• These switches are not collected when cars are retired and end up remaining adhered to the steel, which is sent to steel reprocessing centers.

Mercury Auto Facts (cont’d) • An estimated 5.3 – 6.7 metric tons of mercury were used in U.S. produced 2000 automotive models.

• The entire North American fleet of approximately 225 million vehicles, puts an estimated 164 to 191 metric tons of mercury on the road.

Auto Mercury Applications

Convenience Lighting

“Most” pre-1995 hood and truck lights

Other

HID HeadlampsNavigational displaysBacklit instrumentsFamily entertainment systems

Mercury Auto Project • Significant amounts of mercury are still being used in vehicles, largely due to the use of mercury in lighting devices and anti-lock braking systems

• According to a 1996 white paper by the Society of Auto Engineers, mercury switches accounted for 99% of North American uses of mercury in automobiles

Mercury Proposed Switch Collection Program

• Combination of In-Use and End-of-Life Collection

• Goal of 90% Capture Rate

• Phase-out and labeling of all mercury-added components

Campaign Activities

• National Switch-the-Switch Events

• Working with State Attorney Generals

• Mercury-Free Vehicles Partnership

Goals for Auto Mercury Project • Raise public awareness about mercury use in vehicles • Producer responsibility for automakers to establish mercury switch removal and collection programs • Ultimate elimination of mercury use in vehicles

Resources Available

Campaign Web Page:www.cleancarcampaign.org

Workgroup Minutes& Survey ResultsEmail: mercuryinautos@glu.org

Bailey Mylleville, Clean Production CoordinatorGreat Lakes UnitedPhone: (716) 886-0142 Fax: (716) 886 –0303