Slaloming a path to net zero & no virgin plastic – with no concessions on performance

As the world shifts and new obstacles emerge, we’re convinced that materials can be part of (bold) solutions. The different challenges we face collectively – from reducing emissions to fully integrating recycling – are also exciting opportunities to understand, innovate and move forward.

Whether you work in automotive, leather goods or toy industry, many of these challenges are similar – if not the same. So, let’s team up and tackle them together by transforming our energy, ideas and investment into concrete solutions.

Are you up to the challenge?

Which shared challenges are you looking to tackle together?

Achieve low (ideally zero) CO₂ emissions
Make waste the new must-have
Think big and far ahead about feedstock
Leapfrog from 100% recyclable to 100% recycled
Get the environment into specs
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Achieve low (ideally zero) CO₂ emissions

How to take giant steps in developing alternative materials – with tiny (carbon) footprints

What’s at stake?

As resources become stretched and climate change accelerates, the need to reduce emissions is more urgent than ever. And increasingly a priority for governments, consumers and companies (including ours). Ambitious targets require us to decarbonise the entire value chain, from design to end of life, across all industries, especially automotive.

What can we do?

As well as focusing on Scope 1 & 2 emissions during manufacturing, this transition requires us to reduce Scope 3 emissions, upstream  – when producing components and materials – and downstream across the entire product life cycle. Above all, this means finding or creating low-carbon alternatives designed for Scope 3 that can also be easily recycled. 

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Achieve Low Co2 Emissions
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Make waste the new must-have

How to make waste into chic, sleek, on-trend materials for cars, toys & other everyday objects

What’s at stake?

Recycling existing materials is essential to transition away from fossil fuels. But recycled materials are currently too often seen as compromising on quality, performance or (importantly) aesthetics. As being boring or even ugly.

What can we do?

We need to show companies and consumers that new materials made from recycled content can be just as qualit899ative (and appealing) as virgin alternatives – or even more so.  This means working together to offer more design choices, higher quality finishes and bold aesthetics. As well a communicating the unique selling point of these alternative materials more proactively.

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6%

(only) of annual global plastic production is recycled, according to the OECD
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Think big and far ahead about feedstock

How to source enough (reliable) circular feedstock to meet demand on an industrial scale

Plastic Recycling Materiact

What’s at stake?

Fossil fuel derived plastics are made from a multitude of different polymers (with unique properties). This means replacing a vast array of virgin polymers with biomass or recycled equivalents. What’s more, the alternative circular sources need to be easy to obtain in big enough, regular enough quantities – and the final material has to meet industry standards, every time.

What can we do?

This kind of innovation can be driven by close collaboration between partners across the value chain, ideally all working locally close to the production site. Increasingly AI can be (and is being) used to predict formulation and reduce variability during production. We’re on board and excited about all the possibilities.

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Leapfrog from 100% recyclable to 100% recycled

How to contribute to a more circular economy where everything is reused or recycled

What’s at stake?

Making materials from recycled content is a great start. But to promote a truly circular economy and further reduce environmental impacts, we also need to make sure these new materials have the right technical characteristics to be recycled. And, even more importantly, that they are actually recycled – and that it’s easy to do so.

What can we do?

Close collaboration between public authorities and private companies is essential to come up with bold, efficient recycling solutions. Shaking up recycling processes and product design is also essential. It’s early days, but there are lots of paths (and potential).

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736 mt

of plastics are expected to be produced in 2040 (which would be 70% more than in 2020, according to the OECD)
3,4%

of global greenhouse gases are generated by plastics
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Get the environment into specs

How to shake up manufacturing to place environmental concerns at the heart product design

What’s at stake?

Industry, particularly the automotive sector, relies on very technical materials with tough requirements in terms of performance, durability and cost. Integrating environmental criteria (like carbon footprint, recyclability, biobased content and end-of-life) into material specs – while meeting or exceeding other requirements – can be tough and take time, energy and significant changes.

What can we do?

Putting the environmental at the heart of products means integrating environmental criteria from day 1 when developing new low-carbon materials, for example, by using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to assess their impacts or by working closely with manufacturers to redefine specifications together. There’s a long way to go, but the course has been set.

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Environment To Be Preserved