ROCKLEIGH, NJ -- Volvo has always been strongly identified with certain core values: safety, quality and care for the environment. In keeping with its Scandinavian heritage, Volvo takes a holistic view of humanity and environmental responsibility. Consequently, Volvo's total manufacturing processes are examined from an environmental perspective, resulting in projects like:

Environmental Priorities System (EPS), a system by which the environmental impact of every material element in each vehicle is quantified in order to make the best possible production decisions.

MOTIV Chemical Database, which details the environmental and health effects of each chemical used in the manufacturing of Volvos, as well as 2000 that have been deemed unusable due to undesirable effects.

Environmental Car Recycling in Scandinavia (ECRIS), a program which focuses on the dismantling of vehicles in a way that has the least environmental impact.

In conjunction with other Scandinavian regulation agencies, automotive component suppliers, and dismantling facilities, Volvo intends to become a world leader in environmental care.

Volvo environmental experts and engineers, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute and the Swedish Federation of Industries have measured every step of the manufacturing, operation and disposal processes. Using their findings, they established the environmental load unit (ELU), a unit of measurement that quantifies the environmental impact of each element of a car.

Adding together the ELUs of the aluminum, iron, glass, plastics, leather, vinyl and every other material found in a car, Volvo can arrive at a total environmental value for each finished product. Volvo can then vary the use of components in order to attain a lower total ELU. For example, the plastic inner fender well cover can be made from virgin plastic or recycled, but the virgin plastic has a higher ELU, so recycled plastic would be used. The ELU includes every aspect of a component. For example, when determining the ELU of a red plastic component, the total ELU includes materials used to clean the mold for production of plastic components in another required color. An ELU for raw iron includes 0 aspects of the mining plus ore transportation, smelting and forging.

EPS makes it easy to select environmentally desirable alternatives for vehicle production. Designers, engineers, purchasing experts and others who have a role in developing a new model use the same scale, the ELU, to determine how to create a product with the least harmful effect on the environment.

Volvo has created MOTIV, a chemical database which provides details on 4000 different chemicals used within the life cycle of its cars. MOTIV also includes information on handling, storage and transportation of these chemicals.

Additionally, MOTIV includes information on 2000 chemicals Volvo no longer uses because of environmental and/or health factors. Here are some of the chemicals that Volvo has permanently removed from factories, and the reasons they have been removed from the process:

All new chemicals proposed for use in production are analyzed against the MOTIV database. Those deemed unacceptable from a health and environmental standpoint are prohibited from entering the factories. Volvo intends that MOTIV will prevent contamination of the environment and harm to its employees.

All around the world, people are recycling aluminum, paper, plastic and other materials that would otherwise take up valuable space in landfills. To do its part, Volvo is spearheading a study on how to recycle more effectively. Environmental Car Recycling In Scandinavia (ECRIS) is a joint venture between Volvo, who conceived and planned the ECRIS facility, and three other Scandinavian companies. ECRIS is in a four-year trial program with four main goals:

ECRIS is confident that its methods are beneficial to the environment and help Volvo achieve its goal of producing quality products at a good value to the customer.