The European Union reached a final deal yesterday on a law that will force automakers to pay for the recycling of old cars. Starting with vehicles sold after January 1, 2001, automakers will have to pay most of the cost of taking back and recycling cars at the end of their lives. And beginning in 2007, car manufacturers will have to take back all old cars, regardless of when they were built. By 2006, at least 80 percent of the weight of discarded cars must be reused or recycled, and by 2015 the percentage will rise to 85. The new law also bans the use of some hazardous heavy metals in cars starting in 2003. The European Commission is drafting similar legislation that would force manufacturers to pay for the recycling and disposal of electrical and electronic goods.
