From one scrapyard to another: the recovery and circulation of cars in and between cities

This article looks at the fate of end-of-life cars and scrapyards, and their links with the city, at two scales. Firstly, we consider the origins and transformations of scrapyards in the city, as places for collecting, sorting, processing and selling second-hand parts, associated with the knowledge and practices of repairing second-hand or imported cars. We then show how scrapyards fit into local, national and transnational networks, in which parts, vehicles, individuals and knowledge circulate. Comparing scrapyards, based on surveys in Abidjan, Sharjah, Douala and Paris, makes it possible to identify both the intra- and inter-urban dimensions of the circular economies for used cars. It also reveals common issues relating to the regulation of cars in cities and their end-of-life. While used car scrapyards and marketplaces are threatened with eviction from the city, from Paris to Abidjan, new routes and arrangements are emerging, linked to the emergence of logistics zones such as that in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), a global warehouse for used cars awaiting resale.