Recycling Devalued is now Revalued

GM, SUBARU, FORD AND OTHER
MANUFACTURERS ARE EMBRACING ZERO
WASTE MANUFACTURING AND RECYCLING
Approximately 90 percent of GM’s
manufacturing waste is reused or
recycled, generating an estimated
$1 billion per year; 104 of the
manufacturer’s facilities are landfill-free.
CONTINUED COLLABORATION IS
NEEDED TO FURTHER INNOVATION
AND ADOPTION OF RECYCLED
PLASTICS FOR NEW AUTOMOTIVE
PARTS AND COMPONENTS
PLASTICS USAGE IN AUTOMOBILES IS INCREASING AS
MANUFACTURERS LOOK TO IMPROVE THE MPG OF THEIR
VEHICLES.
By 2020, the average car will have about 770 pounds
of plastics by weight compared to the 440 pounds
averaged in 2014—an increase of 75 percent.
AUTO MANUFACTURERS ARE TURNING
TO RECYCLED PLASTIC FROM
BOTTLES, CAPS, CONTAINERS AND
OTHER PACKAGING TO MAKE NEW CAR
PARTS IN VEHICLES.
Ford used more than 50 million
pounds of post-consumer
recycled plastics on the exterior
of Ford vehicles made in North
America—that equals nearly 18
pounds per vehicle on average.
VALUE OF PLASTICS AS COMPONENTS—AND
MATERIAL —BEING RECOGNIZED AND APPLIED
TO NEW VEHICLES
Carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP)
usage in vehicles will increase from
3,400 tonnes in 2013 to 9,800 tonnes
in 2030. Used inside and out of,
CFRP weighs 50 percent less than
conventional steel and 30 percent lighter
than aluminum. BMW is reusing CFRP
production scraps to manufacture the
roofs for its i3 and i8 models as well as
the rear seat structure in the i3.
Closing the loop on auto plastics:
Growing opportunities for use of
recycled content and recovery
38 PLASTICS MARKET WATCH: DEVALUED IS NOW REVALUED
SPI: The Plastics Industry
Trade Association