Project description:

Challenge: Europe generates around 1,000,000 tonnes of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) plastics annually, yet less than 20% is recycled, and less than 1% is reused in new cars. Complex polymer mixes, coatings, and limited collaboration across dismantling, recycling, and manufacturing stages make large-scale recovery and repurposing of ELV plastics technically and economically unviable. This gap sustains resource inefficiency and fossil dependency, reinforcing linear production patterns that limit progress toward a circular and low-carbon automotive industry.

Solution: The project mobilizes cross-value-chain collaboration to develop a proof-of-concept industrial pathway transforming end-of-life vehicle plastics into circular feedstock, aligning technology, data, and market demand to accelerate low-carbon production.  The project has brought together automotive disassemblers, recyclers, and polymer producers to redesign the way plastics are recovered, shredded, and sorted to improve recycling outcomes. By linking technical expertise with on-the-ground collaboration, the project turns a fragmented system into a coordinated effort, advancing plastics circularity in the automotive sector.

Result: The pilot project tested large-scale recovery of automotive plastics, demonstrating that circular reuse is technically and operationally feasible. Over 50% plastic recovery was achieved from 100 dismantled vehicles, covering 15 polymer types. The results provided valuable insights into the ease of dismantling and recycling different plastic components, revealing high potential for scale-up and industrial application. The success has generated interest among automakers and Tier 1 component suppliers, confirming market demand and the potential for scaling the initiative.

Partners:

BASF, Syensqo, Covestro, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, LyondellBasell, LG Chem, SUEZ, SABIC, Steinert, KlaasBoer, Auto Recycling Nederlands (ARN), Reyond, the Global Impact Coalition

Category: Environment & Climate Action

Company: Global Impact Coalition (GIC)

About the company: 

Global Impact Coalition is a collaborative platform enabling the chemical industry and value chain to advance towards a circular and net-zero-emissions future. Incubated at the World Economic Forum, GIC is a nonprofit coalition guided by global industry leaders, including BASF, SABIC, Clariant, Covestro, LG Chem, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Group, Moeve, Syensqo, and SUEZ.