Iranpolymer/Baspar Materials producer Covestro has launched a new line of post-consumer recyclate polycarbonates made from end-of-life automotive headlamps.
The TÜV Rheinland-certified grades contain 50% recycled content and are now commercially available for new automotive applications. Volkswagen and Chinese electric vehicle company NIO are already validating the material for potential use in future vehicle designs.
Covestro developed the PCR grades as part of a car-to-car plastic recycling programme initiated by the German federal enterprise GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).
As part of the pilot program, a team of professionals is exploring methods to recycle and process waste polycarbonate components, such as end-of-life car headlights, into PCR polycarbonates. The recycled materials are then reused for various interior and exterior vehicle applications, saving resources and reducing carbon emissions.
“This new line of polycarbonate represents a significant step in supporting the automotive industry’s transformation towards a circular future,” said Lily Wang, global head of the engineering plastics business entity at Covestro. “By offering high-quality PCR materials derived from end-of-life headlamps, we’re enabling our customers to meet increasingly stringent regulatory requirements while contributing to closed-loop recycling of automotive plastics.”
As part of the initiative, Covestro is collaborating with partners, including Chinese recycler Ausell and leading automakers, to establish closed-loop pathways for high-value plastics from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs).
The new PCR grades meet the high-performance standards required for demanding automotive applications, offering excellent surface quality for superior aesthetics and adhering to strict Vehicle Interior Air Quality (VIAQ) requirements.
In a statement announcing the launch, Covestro referred to the EU’s End-of-Life Directive and China’s EPR programme as key measures pushing automotive manufactures to see sustainable material solutions.
The European Parliament has recently proposed watering down quotas for for recycled plastic in new vehicles as part of the Directive.
The draft report proposes amendments to the European Commission’s proposed regulation, including reducing recycled plastic content target in new vehicles from 25% to 20%. It also proposes that 15%, rather than the previous 25%, of this recycled content is achieved from end-of-life vehicles in a closed-loop.
