BMW, Evonik, ThyssenKrupp and other industry giants join hands to promote the recycling of automotiv

        Recently, a German Sustainable Automotive Materials Alliance consisting of 19 leading industrial companies and research institutions including BMW Group, Evonik, ThyssenKrupp, Fraunhofer Institute and Technical University of Munich was officially established. The purpose of the alliance is to develop new processes in the automotive materials industry chain and achieve the recycling of automotive components through the use of sustainable materials.

        BMW launched a program called "Sustainable Automotive Materials of the Future" at the end of 2022, with the goal of promoting the creation of a circular economy in automotive production. Evonik will contribute its expertise in plastics and recycled additives to the project. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for three years. In a circular economy, materials are retained in the value chain after the parts or products that use the materials have reached the end of their service life. These materials can be reused or recycled into new components, eliminating the need to use virgin resources. The challenge is to keep these materials in circulation while maintaining their quality and safety properties.

        “Our mechanical recycling experts work closely with recyclers to prepare methods for cleaning plastic components, such as separating paint at the end of their service life. We also work with composite manufacturers to develop solutions that use the highest possible proportion of recycled plastics in new vehicle parts,” said Patrick Glöckner, head of Evonik’s global circular plastics project.

        As a team, the alliance is confident that challenges can be identified quickly and that it can then focus on developing solutions together.

        In addition, the partners in the "Future Sustainable Automotive Materials" initiative are optimistic that the knowledge generated in the project will be able to be applied to other industrial products in the future, such as commercial vehicles, electrical appliances and household appliances. In this way, it will be an additional driving force for future circular economy systems in the German economy.