Garbage in Better cars out.

Virgin plastics are part of the problem. Derived from fossil fuels. Resource and carbon intensive. Not always easy to recycle and still too often incinerated or buried. As climate change accelerates, we need to find ways to cut back our environmental impact and shape a more circular economy – including the choice of products and materials we use. 

That’s why our teams at MATERI’ACT set out with the mission of creating high-performance materials from recycled waste or biomass for the automotive industry. We’re aiming for an 85% reduction of our carbon footprint by 2030.  

But how exactly do we transform waste and biomass into cutting-edge materials that stand up to the most stringent specs?

Sourcing – finding the right waste & biomass

We work closely with key recycling partners like PCR in the US and VEOLIA in Europe to obtain a stable, high-quality supply of waste plastic, including industrial and post-consumer. Polypropylene from milk and shampoo bottles is one of our favourites. We also work with agricultural cooperatives like INTERVAL to source CO₂-capturing hemp. Prioritising local sourcing helps us reduce the carbon footprint and enhance traceability.

Qualification – tackling variability

Unlike virgin plastics, recycled plastics can have very different compositions and properties. Biomass can be unpredictable too. However, the final material needs to meet stringent requirements in the automotive industry from UV to impact resistance. This is why we have our own lab to characterise and stablisestabilise the feedstock in-house.

The magic recipe – developing high-performance grades

Our teams then come up with innovative formulas to homogenise and improve the properties of the recycled plastic or biomass, with a little help from AI.

We also top up with additives and reinforcements ( for example, using hemp instead of fibreglass) to make sure all manufacturer specifications are covered – or exceeded.

The kitchen – getting the compounding just right

Now it’s time to blend the recycled content (& sometimes biomass) and additives to create a robust, homogeneous material. This requires regular in-line quality control and on-the-go adjustments during extrusion to ensure every batch is the same.

Injection molding – transforming material into the final product

The final step on our journey? Shaping the new materials into automotive parts using plastic injection. This also means lots of tough tests to validate compliance with specifications, such as resistance to extreme conditions like heat and cold. We also do this in-house.

And tada !

We’re on our way. Together.

We’re really excited about the progress so far. And the partnerships we’ve established. There are plenty of obstacles on the path to getting recycled plastic and biomass adopted on a massive scale, but the ball is rolling.

A few of the challenges that we still need to tackle (collectively) :

• Perception of recycled plastic: myth vs. reality on quality, durability & aesthetics
• Harmonising standards to make it easier to integrate more recycled content
• Getting the right (reliable) feedstock in big enough quantities for industrial scale