Covestro collaborates with automotive partners on car-to-car plastic recycling
Covestro and partners from the automotive value chain collaborated to lead the concept of car-to-car closed-loop plastics recycling. Under a joint pilot program initiated by German federal enterprise GIZ, Covestro and partners will collaborate to establish closed-loop pathways for high-value plastics from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).
Covestro and partners from the automotive value chain at the launching ceremony of the pilot program, which took place at CHINAPLAS 2024.
The goal of the pilot program is to create an efficient and sustainable automotive plastic recycling system. Notable partners include leading automotive brand owners such as NIO of China and Volkswagen, Chinese recycling company GEM, and third-party certification bodies like TÜV Rheinland.
At the pilot program, a team of professionals will explore methods to recycle and process waste polycarbonate components, such as end-of-life car headlights, into post-consumer recycled (PCR) polycarbonates. The recycled materials will then be reused for various interior and exterior vehicle applications, saving resources and reducing carbon emissions.
The program offers a long-term solution for the automotive manufacturing industry, such as the proposed regulation by the European Commission that mandates 25% of plastics used in a new vehicle must come from recycling, of which 25% must be recycled from end-of-life vehicles.
“Through this joint program, we aim to expedite the automotive industry’s transition toward a more climate-neutral and sustainable future,” concluded Lily Wang, Global Head of the Engineering Plastics Business Entity at Covestro.
