Axion Polymers has supplied its 100% recycled polymer from end-of-life vehicles to help a leading automotive manufacturer demonstrate the use of sustainable components in new cars.
The Manchester-based recycler’s Axpoly PP polymer was blended 50/50 with a polypropylene recycled from packaging waste to achieve a specification required by vehicle designers for reuse in new vehicle components.
An initial sample of this plastic blend has been used successfully to mould both internal and external body parts for a new car in a collaborative demonstration project for Volvo Car Group involving more than 40 suppliers of vehicle components.
Axion claims its strong technical expertise and continual development of high-quality recycled polymer grades that can replace virgin plastics in new cars will support the automotive industry in its transition from a ‘Linear’ to a Circular Economy.
At the Ocean Summit conference, held in June at Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo Car Group set out its ambition that at least 25% of the plastics used in every newly-launched Volvo car will be made from recycled material after 2025. The car maker unveiled a specially-built version of its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV model which has over 170 plastic parts (circa 60 kilos) made out of recycled plastics in place of virgin polymers.
“It was great to take part in the Ocean Summit debate and to see large multi-national organisations making strong commitments to tackle this worldwide and hugely-significant issue.”
The recycled-plastics XC60 was revealed at the Ocean Summit during the Gothenburg Volvo Ocean Race stopover. The race’s focus on sustainability centres on a partnership with the United Nations Environment Clean Seas campaign, focussing on the call to action ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’.
Keith Freegard, Associate Consultant at Axion Polymers, who attended the Ocean Summit conference, commented: “It was great to take part in the Ocean Summit debate and to see large multi-national organisations making strong commitments to tackle this worldwide and hugely-significant issue.”
“As the main sponsor of the yacht race, Volvo Car Group has taken a ‘strong and leading’ position in its commitment to the increased use of sustainable materials in its vehicles”, said Keith.
He added: “Seeing the ‘first adopters’ take the lead in such an important market as motor vehicles really gives me hope that the problem of ocean plastic pollution can be solved by taking such positive action for change.”
Axion Polymers is part of the Axion Group that develops and operates innovative resource recovery and processing solutions for recycling waste materials. The Group works with a wide range of clients within the recycling and process industries on the practical development of new processing and collection methods.
