Circular Economy News — Week 40

summary about last week 40

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1. Audi Uses Recycled Plastic Compounds with 76% Production Waste to Cut CO2 Footprint in New Q6 e-tron 🚙

In collaboration with suppliers Kunststofftechnik Wiesmayer and RSH Polymere, Audi has started using recycled materials in visible parts for the new Audi Q6 e-tron. This project focuses on replacing virgin plastics with recycled compounds to decrease the overall CO2 emissions in production while maintaining high quality.

• The recycled compounds contain approximately 76% production waste from the plastics processing industry, also known as Post-Industrial Recycled (PIR) materials.

• Audi aims to increase the share of recycled materials in future vehicle generations, focusing on various materials, including plastics, steel, aluminum, and glass.

• The use of recycled plastics has a notable environmental impact. For example, the recycled compound used in the air ducting part for Audi has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 0.309 kg CO2-equivalent per kilogram of recycled plastic, compared to 1.68 kg CO2-equivalent for the comparable virgin PP MF 20 material.

• Audi, Wiesmayer, and RSH Polymere are also developing materials that include 20–40% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, pushing the limits of recycled plastic use in automotive applications.

• This initiative is part of a broader industry trend, with other car manufacturers like Dacia also recently announcing the use of recycled materials in their vehicle production.

Audi’s commitment to integrating recycled materials in its production not only aligns with sustainability goals but also showcases how automotive companies can drive innovation in the circular economy.

🔗 source

2. Hydro Expands Recycling Capacity in the U.S. to Add 130,000 Tons of Low-Carbon Aluminum to Meet Automotive Demand 🚗

The aluminum company Hydro has announced plans to expand its recycling operations in the United States to address the rising demand for low-carbon aluminum in the automotive sector. The new project aims to enhance Hydro’s recycling capacity significantly…