Currently reading: Volvo to use 25% recycled plastic in cars from 2025

Swedish firm has produced one-off XC60 plug-in with recycled parts

Volvo has pledged to use 25% recycled plastic in all of its cars from 2025 in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of its production.

The firm, which has already announced intentions for 50% of its total sales volume to be electric cars by 2025, has produced a one-off XC60 plug-in hybrid using recycled parts to illustrate the potential of this raw material reduction.

The one-off XC60’s centre tunnel console is made from renewable fibres and plastics taken from discarded fishing nets and ropes. The carpets contain fibres made from PET plastic bottles and a recycled cotton mix using offcuts from clothing manufacturers. PET fibres also helped to produce the seat fabric, while material from used car seats helped produce the sound-absorbing material under the car bonnet.

230940 Volvo cars aims for 25 per cent recycled plastics in every new car from

Volvo is also working to reduce the environmental impact of its production processes. In January, it announced that the Skövde production site in Sweden had become carbon-neutral — something the brand hopes will be the case for all of its facilities by 2025. Last month, Volvo committed to remove single-use plastics from all of its premises and events by the end of 2019.

“Volvo Cars is committed to minimising its global environmental footprint,” said CEO HÃ¥kan Samuelsson. “Environmental care is one of Volvo’s core values and we will continue to find new ways to bring this into our business. This car and our recycled plastics ambition are further examples of that commitment.”

230941 Volvo cars aims for 25 per cent recycled plastics in every new car from

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Volvo is also investing heavily in electric technology in the face of skyrocketing demand for zero-emission vehicles, particularly in China, the home market of its parent company Geely.

Toyota is another major car manufacturer to recently announce emissions-fighting changes in its processes. The Japanese brand is producing a megawatt hydrogen station to provide hydrogen cars, such as the Mirai, passing through the Port of Long Beach in California with carbon-neutral energy.

Audi has also claimed that the production of its upcoming E-tron SUV will be completely carbon neutral, thanks to the use of renewable energy and offsets for its carbon output.

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Peter Cavellini 19 June 2018

Over fifty percent....

 where I live our Council consistently recycles over 50% year In year out, so just recycling Plastics is a start and I’d like to think other big Businesses would try to do the same.

typos1 18 June 2018

Why werent they doing this 10

Why werent they doing this 10 years ago ? It was perfectly possible then. We supposed to praise them for doing something that most people thought any company using plastics would have been doing for ages ?

Scoobman 18 June 2018

typos1 wrote:

typos1 wrote:

Why werent they doing this 10 years ago ? 

I would guess that recycled materials 10 years' ago were more expensive than virgin materials.

Bob Cat Brian 18 June 2018

Disappointing.

 Disappointing. I wouldve guessed recycled plastic already made up around 25%.