Recycling for a more sustainable interior

Time is running out as humanity lives beyond its means. If global resource consumption remains unchanged, the global economy would need the resources of three planets by 2050, warns the United Nations’ Global Resources Outlook. The increasing scarcity of resources makes the shift from a linear to a circular economy imperative. The circular economy is based on the idea that materials and products have a lasting value and are continuously utilized. At the end of their lifecycle, they remain in the economy by being reused or recycled, thus preventing the loss of resources. This shift is particularly important in the automotive industry, where the focus is increasingly on the materials used. In vehicle interiors, there is a growing emphasis on sustainable materials such as natural fibers, recycled plastics, and biocomposites, with the long-term goal of making all interior materials 100 percent recyclable.

In a recent technical article in the ATZelectronics eMagazine (issue 04/2024), experts from the DRÄXLMAIER Group have explained how the automotive supplier demonstrates this closed loop in an essential component on an industrial scale.