Inaugurating Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India’s 1st vehicle scrapping facility, Union Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari has appealed to unauthorised vehicle scrappers to enter the formal economy and boost their earnings by adopting scientific ways to recover metals.

While the minister projected creation of 2 lakh jobs due to scrappage facilities, he added that rise in availability of recycled metals will reduce production cost for the industry and positively contribute to cost competitiveness.

Executive Director, Corporate Affairs at Maruti Suzuki, Rahul Bharti told ET Now that the maiden Facility in Noida is a joint venture between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota, established at a cost of Rs. 44 crores and spread across 2.7 acres.

Apart from recycling and dismantling, the facility has provisions to check for radioactive substances and fully recover all plastics and oil, apart from metals like Platinum, Palladium and, Rhodium. Up to 96% material will be recycled at the facility, in line with global standards. Bharti lauded the scientific norms’ backed government’s scrappage policy, which he feels will lead to creation of new, eco-friendly business models with a potential spread across India.

MD of Maruti Suzuki Toyotsu India (MSTI), Masaru Akaishi told ET Now that starting with the exterior, the doors, sheets, dashboard and wires of an end-of-life vehicle will be scrapped, from which most Aluminium, plastic and Copper will be recycled. While the current facility will scrap 2,000 vehicles per month, he feels that other OEMs will also begin scrapping vehicles once they start noticing the environmental and financial benefits.