Climate change: German plastics firm works with Chinese carmakers to recycle parts

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Covestro is collaborating with vehicle makers including Nio and recycling partners to reuse plastic car parts in China to reduce the carbon footprint of its products.

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The materials will be reused for interior vehicle applications such as instrument panel trim and exterior applications like spoilers. Photo: Xinhua

Eric Ng

Published: 7:30am, 23 Jul 2024Updated: 1:53pm, 23 Jul 2024

German plastic materials maker Covestro is stepping up efforts to collaborate with vehicle makers and recycling partners to reuse plastic car parts in China to reduce the carbon and resource footprint of its products.

Through a pilot scheme initiated by German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Covestro recently joined the carmakers Volkswagen and Nio, and Shenzhen-based recycling company GEM to work on methods to process and recycle waste polycarbonate components such as headlights that have reached the end of their life.

The materials will be reused for interior vehicle applications such as instrument panel trim and exterior applications like spoilers to lower wind resistance and lighting bezels – the plastic rims covering car lights – said Guido Naberfeld, senior vice-president, head of sales and market development mobility at Covestro.

“The purpose of the pilot is to examine and address the pain points of the recycling process in the automotive value chain, which will pave the way for future scale-up considering the impact of upcoming regulatory demands like the European end-of-life vehicle directive under review,” he said.

Last year, the European Commission proposed making it mandatory for a quarter of the plastics used in new vehicles to come from recycled materials by 2030, of which 25 per cent must come from vehicles at the end of their lives.

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Over 100 used vehicles are targeted in the initial stage of the pilot, which aims to save resources and reduce greenhouse gases emitted during the production and disposal of raw materials, Naberfeld said.