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Circular plastics give vehicles a green bill of health

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Focusing on recyclability is key for car makers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the ecological footprint of new vehicles. If it is up to automotive supplier Faurecia and waste management company Veolia, 30% of vehicle interiors will be made of recycled plastics by 2025 (today they are made primarily of non-recycled materials).

This ambitious target underpins the cooperation and research agreement both French concerns signed earlier this month. Leveraging their respective expertise they aim to develop and market groundbreaking composition materials for in-vehicle use in Europe. Today around 13 million vehicles feature NafiLean, the light-weight bio-material for cockpit solutions that Faurecia introduced 10 years ago. In France, Veolia too has been an automotive supplier for more than five years, providing compounds based on recycled polypropylene. Combining their know-how and industrial strength will enable them to kick into higher gear the production of disruptive green interior solutions – targeted specifically for door panels, instrument panels and center consoles. Production is expected to get the green light as soon as 2023 at Veolia’s French recycling sites.

Europe alone generates around 26 million tons of plastic every year and although the material’s recycling trend is gaining traction, there is still a lot of progress to be made. The European Green Deal stipulates that 55% of plastic packaging waste should be processed for reuse by 2030. By joining forces to significantly reduce waste streams, Faurecia and Veolia are right on the money.