Recycling plastics is one of the biggest concerns of our world, so we have to take into consideration solving this issue fast in the near future. Volvo understood this and is making big steps in this direction.
The premium car maker, today announced its ambition that from 2025 at least 25 per cent of the plastics used in every newly launched Volvo car will be made from recycled material.
Volvo Cars also urged auto industry suppliers to work more closely with car makers to develop next-generation components that are as sustainable as possible, especially with regards to containing more recycled plastics.
To demonstrate the viability of this ambition, the company has unveiled a specially built version of its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV that looks identical to the existing model, but has had several of its plastic components replaced with equivalents containing recycled materials.
The special XC60’s interior has a tunnel console made from renewable fibres and plastics from discarded fishing nets and maritime ropes. On the floor, the carpet contains fibres made from PET plastic bottles and a recycled cotton mix from clothing manufacturers’ offcuts. The seats also use PET fibres from plastic bottles. Used car seats from old Volvo cars were used to create the sound-absorbing material under the car bonnet.
The recycled-plastics XC60 was revealed at the Ocean Summit during the Gothenburg Volvo Ocean Race stopover. The race’s focus on sustainability centres on a partnership with the United Nations Environment Clean Seas campaign, focussing on the call to action ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’.
