May 28, 2009

Quick: Recycle That Bentley

If you buy a Bentley Continental tomorrow, which is not such a bad idea, you can rest assured that when it comes time to lay that esteemed car to rest, 85 percent of it can be recycled and 95 percent of it can be “recovered,” though not like a chair might be re-covered. This recycling achievement has now received official recognition from the German Motor Transport Authority (KBA). In a Berlin ceremony, KBA President Ekhard Zinke presented the official European-wide certificates to Dr. Arno Homburg, head of Whole Vehicle Development at Bentley Motors. (For the record, Dr. Homburg is not related to the inventor of the hat that bears his name.)

“Our environment policy is based on sustainable principles, and we take a holistic view of the whole process,” Homburg said. “At the design stage we consider the environmental impact of all components over the entire life of the car. This is despite the fact that over 70 percent of all Bentleys ever produced are still in existence; our cars tend to end up as collectors' items rather than scrap. This is part of our responsibility as a carmaker to contribute to environmental improvements, as demonstrated by this certification.”

By meeting the stringent recycling standards, Bentley guarantees that other industries will be able to reutilize or otherwise reprocess the vast majority of materials used in the construction of its cars. At the same time, Bentley’s use of gas, electricity and water has declined by around a quarter over the last nine years, although the number of cars produced has increased by up to 10 times over the same period. Bentley employees are now encouraged to work by the light of their personal flashlights, and they are forbidden to go to the bathroom until they return home.

The recycling certificate is part of a comprehensive environmental strategy that the British carmaker is following. The Bentley Continental Supersports, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, can be powered by either gasoline or ethanol, a fuel that can markedly reduce carbon emissions on a well-to-wheel basis, depending upon who is doing the figuring.