Environmental Policy
http://www.volvocanada.com/Experience/EnvironmentalPolicy.aspx?lng=2
Volvo builds cars for people
Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain – safety.
Assar Gabrielsson
Gustaf Larson
Environmental care is a natural extension of our safety philosophy. As such, it is part of the Volvo driving experience.
Environmental care has been one of Volvo’s core values for the last thirty years or so. Our aim is to become a leader in environmental care in the premium car segment of the automotive industry. Our environmental programs embrace the car’s complete life cycle, technical development, efficient utilization of resources, and reduced emissions.
Clean Inside
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Safe and Healthy Interior
The interior of a Volvo is designed to be healthy and safe – even for people with asthma and contact allergies. Particular attention has been paid to the use of environmentally compatible materials.
Air quality – Incoming Air
Interior Air Quality System
Volvo Cars works systematically to create a healthy passenger compartment environment. A cabin filter prevents dust, particulates and pollen from entering the interior through the ventilation system. Most Volvos can also be equipped with an interior air quality system (IAQS)*. This consists of an electronic sensor that monitors the amount of carbon monoxide in the incoming air and closes the air intakes if the level becomes too high, for example in dense city traffic, traffic tailbacks and tunnels. A combined filter with an activated carbon element protects the occupants from virtually all unpleasant odours caused, for example, by exhaust fumes, washer fluid and oil. The combined filter also reduces occupant exposure to gases such as nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone and hydrocarbons.
* Option in combination with ECC (Electronic Climate Control).
Allergy Tested Interior
The interior also complies with the Oeko-Tex 100 ecological standard – a major step towards a healthier in-car environment. Oeko-Tex certification covers components such as fabrics, threads, carpets and safety belts. In addition, the leather upholstery is the product of a chromium-free tanning process based on natural plant extracts, which also meets the Oeko-Tex requirements. Other components, such as the handbrake button, load anchoring eyebolts, space ball and steering wheel badge are tested for contact allergens and meet the EU directive for nickel leakage from jewellery.
Clean Outside
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From cradle to grave, the environmental impact of a car is roughly as follows: 5% occurs during production, 90% during the vehicle’s useful life, and 5% during scrapping and recycling.
Volvo’s aim is to ensure that the environmental impact of the car is the minimum possible at all stages of its life cycle.
To make environmental programs as effective as possible and apply resources where they will do the most good, it is necessary to identify the problems that must be prioritized.
Fuel Efficient Engines
In terms of its effect on its surrounding, road traffic:
* increases emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly CO2
* impairs air quality by emissions of substances such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates.
With the benefit of advanced technology, the combustion process in the modern petrol engine is highly efficient which, in itself, produces low emissions. The exhaust gases are further cleaned by the latest generation of three-way catalytic converter. This is located immediately adjacent to the engine to reach full performance quickly, even when starting from cold. This reduces emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides by 95-98%.
Approximately 90 percent of the environmental impact of a car is generated during its useful life. One of the most important environmental goals at Volvo Cars is to reduce fuel consumption and thus emissions of carbon dioxide, which contribute to the greenhouse effect.
V8 Engine
Lower Emissions
This is the cleanest-running gasoline-powered V8 available in an SUV – the only one in the world that meets the EPA’s stringent Ultra Low Emission Vehicle, stage II (ULEV II) requirements. In fact, the Volvo XC90 V8 is so clean-running, it already meets European clean-air standards before they’ve been mandated.
Clean All Its Life
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In years gone by, protecting the environment generally meant cleaning up afterwards. Now, however, it means doing things correctly from the beginning. So environmental care is built into our cars right from the design stage to reduce the total lifetime environmental impact of the car.
The analytical tools we use in product development and design enable us to compare and evaluate how different solutions and materials effect the environment.
Our entire operation is certified in accordance with ISO 14001.
Our production plants are among the cleanest in the world.
We impose tough requirements on our suppliers; for example, in terms of implementing environmental management systems.
Manufacturing Techniques
Volvo Cars has dramatically improved the environmental performance of its plants since the 1960s, for example by installing several kinds of cleaning technology and substantially reducing emissions to air and water. However, these technologies do not solve all of the problems since they consume energy. Lower energy consumption is one of Volvo Cars current main environmental objectives for its plants.
Solvent emissions
Solvent emissions from car production have attracted much attention in the last 30 years. Inhalation of high concentrations of solvents can affect human health. Solvents also contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Reduction of these solvents is a highly prioritized area in our plants. Solvent emissions from the Torslanda plant have been reduced by 30 kg/car in 1977 to 1.4 kg/car in 2003.
Use of chemicals
In 1991, Volvo Cars established a database containing detailed information on more than 5,000 chemical products. Since its introduction, the number of chemical products used in production has been reduced and a large number of substances have been eliminated from production operations.
Volvo Cars has been using standards for chemical substances since the beginning of the 1990s. These standards are actually tougher than the relevant legislation, and substances such as CFCs and asbestos were phased out before the legislation came into force.
Energy consumption
Significant amounts of energy are used in car manufacturing and Volvo Cars is working continually to reduce energy consumption in its plants. However, the environmental impact of the operation is a function of the energy used. Volvo plants mainly use natural gas, which is a preferable alternative from the environmental point of view. The Torslanda plant also uses residual heat from a nearby oil refinery for heating.
Water consumption
Closed water cycles are used to reduce the consumption of fresh water and all Volvo plants are equipped with advanced water treatment facilities. Residual products are treated in an environmentally compatible manner. The introduction of water treatment has significantly reduced emissions of substances such as phosphorus, iron, chromium, nickel and zinc.
Waste and recycling
Volvo Cars has introduced waste management systems to minimize residual products and improve material utilization. In addition, it is important to continually increase the proportion of recycled and reused materials. The implementation of recycling and waste management procedures has yielded very successful results.
Recyclability
A higher level of recycling is an important method of reducing the consumption of finite resources. All Volvo cars are designed to take account of their recyclability at the end of their useful life. This is a matter of specifying the correct materials and developing solutions which will facilitate dismantling. To simplify recycling, we mark plastic components, avoid mixed materials and reduce the number of fasteners. This allows 85% of a new Volvo to be recycled and the aim is to increase this to 95%. Procedures for scrapping cars differ from market to market. However, your Volvo dealer will assist you in finding a suitable take-back station.
Volvo cars also include components made of recycled materials, while certain components are reused through the Volvo Cars exchange system for remanufactured parts. This system, in which used parts are collected from dealers and remanufactured to the same quality as new parts, is a good example of reuse. This enables the amount of resources and energy used in component manufacture to be reduced significantly. Over 2,000 different components, from gearboxes to consoles, are remanufactured in this manner. And the only difference between remanufactured and all-new parts is that we use them more than once – naturally with a full warranty.
Environmental Declaration
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The impact a car has on the environment is not limited to the years it is driven. Its impact lasts from cradle to grave. Our environmental efforts reflect that reality. Volvo has established rating systems and control tools so as to be able to assess the environmental impact of every single production decision. In fact, we are the first company to issue an Environmental Product Declaration certified by an objective third party, which quantifies our progress in this area.
