Car recycling is still seen as complicated, inaccessible, and associated with the cold image of mechanical scrapyards. With more and more cars reaching their end of life, it has also become hugely important.  

Volkswagen Group France and Derichebourg Environnement, who signed a partnership agreement on June 10, are launching a campaign to democratise car recycling and change public perception.

“Our commitment to the circular economy is not new; it has been at the heart of our strategy since 1997,” stated Aymeric Jobelot, environment program manager. “The partnership with
Derichebourg now allows us to go further turning the end of a vehicle’s life into a valuable resource and encouraging our customers to make recycling second nature.”

The campaign is part of Volkswagen Group France’s aim to become France’s leading automotive group for sustainability and DDB Paris is supporting that aim with a campaign that presents the steps involved in recycling an end-of-life vehicle in a fun, light-hearted way. So an old Golf 2, parked sadly by the roadside and collected quickly by a Derichebourg tow truck, is purged, dismantled, and crushed to the sounds of banjo, trumpet, and cheerful choirs. The uplifting soundtrack, “Better Now,” contrasts with what might seem a sombre end, revealing instead that the car is “much better now.”

Thanks to advanced recycling processes in Derichebourg-approved centres, over 95% of the vehicle’s materials will be given a new life.

“We want to make recycling your vehicle a simple, accessible, and positive experience,” stated Dorothée Bright-Bou, head of after-sales marketing at Volkswagen Group France.

The campaign shows that recycling can be as joyful as it is useful. It will run digitally in 45-, 60-, and 90-second formats.