Automotive industry urged to consider simpler materials for future vehicle recyclability

Automotive engineers and manufacturers should consider ‘simpler’ materials over high-performance composites at the initial design stage so that new motor vehicles can be more readily recycled at the end of their lives, urges a leading UK-based plastics recycler. With no currently viable recycling routes for many of the recently developed materials used in modern lightweight vehicles, these vehicle components and body parts might only be suitable for waste to energy schemes at end of life, according to the company. Axion Polymers has called on the sector to look at locally-sourced, sustainable options first, such as innovative, highly-specified 100% recycled polymers derived from a stable long-term supply of end-of-life vehicles. Keith Freegard, director, said: “While I applaud the use of novel new materials to make lightweight motor vehicle bodies and structural components for cars, my challenge to materials scientists and designers is to think about the simpler alternatives: mono-materials that save carbon and can be eventually recovered for re-use at end of life. “It is tempting to use more unusual composite and reinforced fibre products that can make exciting lightweight components. Yet there appears to be scant regard given to how these very technical, high-performing and complicated composites are treated at the end of a vehicle’s life as they currently cannot be recycled.” He added: “In my view, our rapidly-growing automotive sector offers tremendous opportunity for innovate thinking and product design with the development of electric and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles requiring completely new concepts. Crucially, the potential for incorporating sustainably-sourced recovered materials, that can offer cost savings in new components, should not be overlooked.” ### Read more Recycled packaging to make 230 million bottles per year for Procter & Gamble 50 tpd plastics to diesel plant produces first batch in Australia