The automotive industry faces a critical challenge: recycling plastics from End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs). While cars are generally designed to recover valuable metals and electronics, plastics used in seats, dashboards, bumpers, and other vehicle components are often not recycled efficiently. In fact, in Europe less than 20鈥�% of these plastics are recycled, with the rest of the 800鈥�000 metric tonnes of ELV plastics either landfilled or incinerated. The variety of plastics and polymers used in vehicles makes sorting and processing them a complex task.
Automotive plastics circularity
A project called 鈥淎utomotive Plastics Circularity鈥�, launched by the Global Impact Coalition with eight global leaders in the chemical and recycling industries, aims to tackle this problem. Partners like BASF, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC, Suez and Syensqo, among others, are working together to optimise the recycling of automotive plastics. The project is currently being implemented as a pilot, with plans for future scale-up. It brings together dismantlers, shredders, and sorting facilities, creating a comprehensive network designed to address the issue head-on.
A pilot project called 鈥淎utomotive Plastics Circularity鈥�, launched by the Global Impact Coalition with eight global leaders in the chemical and recycling industries, aims to tackle this problem. Partners like BASF, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, SABIC, Suez, and Syensqo, among others, are working together to optimise the recycling of automotive plastics. The project is currently in its early stages and is being implemented as a pilot, with plans for scaling up in the future. It brings together dismantlers, shredders, and sorting facilities, creating a comprehensive network designed to address the issue head-on.
The long-term objective is to increase the amount of closed-loop recycled plastics by focusing on specific polymer feedstocks that can be reused in the chemical industry. By redesigning the ELV dismantling process, the project aims to recover more plastics that can be recycled and used again in the production of new car parts. The aim of this initiative is to not only help reduce waste but also to meet the growing demand from vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) for more sustainable, recycled materials.
By turning waste into valuable resources, the project can contribute to reducing the plastic waste that is currently still landfilled or incinerated in Europe, driving both environmental and economic benefits.
Associated SDG targets
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