In China, you are forced to scrap your motorcycle that is more than 13 years old: ecology or economy?

To some extent it is reasonable to think that we should take the most polluting vehicles off the road. However, there is a big difference between replacing an old, highly polluting machine with an electric alternative, and scrapping vehicles simply because they reach a certain age. Many of these vehicles may still be in good condition, avoiding the need to extract new materials and cause more pollution, as well as perpetuating the capitalist cycle of constantly consuming new products.

According to our colleagues at Rideapart, in China, a recent regulation requires motorcycle owners to scrap their vehicles when they reach 13 years of age. There are no exceptions for affected citizens.

There are some nuances to this regulation. Motorcycles must be scrapped after they reach 13 years of age, but also if they have exceeded 120,000 km. This means that if a motorcycle is used very frequently, it may have to be scrapped before reaching the age limit, even if it is in good condition. In addition, if a motorcycle fails the emissions test three times, it must be scrapped regardless of its age or mileage.

For many, this measure seems excessively wasteful. According to Bennetts, “For years, China has maintained a policy of mandatory scrapping aimed at preventing roads from being filled with old, dangerous and polluting vehicles.«At first glance, this may seem reasonable.

However, the Chinese regulations go beyond a simple environmental measure. Another crucial part of this policy is “Provide a constant demand for new machines that benefits the country’s industry«In this sense, the regulation could have a positive impact on the environment if its sole aim were to reduce the climate footprint. However, it also seems to be designed to support domestic companies, forcing consumers to buy new vehicles even when the old ones are still working well.

What is interesting is how this policy will be adapted in the future, especially with China’s growing interest in electric vehicles. Will the scrappage program continue with the rise of electric vehicles? How will all this waste be processed? Will it be reused and recycled properly?

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