Plastic use in vehicles is high

Every year, the automotive industry consumes several million tons of plastic. On average, a modern car consists of 15 to 20% plastic by weight, between 210 kg and 240 kg.

New EU regulation targets recycled plastic

On June 18, 2026, the European Parliament adopted a new regulation on the management of end-of-life vehicles (VHU) and their recycling, with 437 votes for, 112 against, and 20 abstentions. Published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 24, 2026, the regulation sets binding targets regarding the share of recycled plastic in new vehicles.

Recycled plastic targets set for future vehicles

These will have to incorporate at least 15% of recycled plastic from "post-consumer waste" six years after the text comes into effect, with a rate that will then rise to 25% after ten years. This corresponds to the new types of vehicles certified from September 1, 2032 for the first threshold, then from September 1, 2036 for the second. At least 20% of the recycled plastic target must come from end-of-life vehicles.

Recycling plastic in cars is more complex than metal

Sophie Schmidtlin, director of technology at The Future is Neutral, a Renault group entity focused on the circular economy, noted that unlike the 1970s, when small cars were mainly made of steel and aluminum, recycling plastic is a complex process. She mentioned that today's cars have gained weight, pushing manufacturers to lighten them by applying more plastic of various types, especially mixed, which is more difficult to recycle than metal.

Industry embraces new recycling initiatives

The new rules have been well received by the automotive industry, with Renault creating The Future is Neutral in October 2022 and Stellantis establishing SUSTAINera in November 2023. These entities include companies like Gaia and Galloo Plastics, specialized in the recycling of plastic materials. Manufacturers associate their approach with suppliers, an essential link in the circular economy.

Recycling efforts include new materials and targets

Forvia created Materi'Act in 2022, whose objective is to market durable, recycled, and bio-based plastic materials to reduce carbon emissions by 85% compared to virgin plastic. Élise Moreau, president of Materi'Act, explained that while the regulation will allow them to accelerate on the subject, they had pushed for more ambitious targets, aiming to directly integrate 25% of recycled plastic from the start, as they know how to do it technically.

Recycling rates for automotive plastics are low

According to analyses by the European Commission in 2022 and 2023, automotive plastics showed recycling rates below 10% due to the complexity of interior parts. An Ademe study noted that recycled plastics represent less than 10% of the materials used in vehicles. However, OPmobility has been looking at the subject for a long time.

Early attempts at recycled plastic in vehicles

In the early 2010s, the supplier manufactured a bumper made of recycled plastic for a client, but it "did not find its audience," according to David Meneses, director of human resources and sustainable development at the supplier. At that time, there was no specific regulation, and the interest was to show its ability to be a responsible actor, and recycled plastic was more expensive than virgin plastic.

Industry needs time to adapt to new rules

Sophie Schmidtlin emphasized that the regulation has been well formulated to kick off the industry, but manufacturers must integrate this horizon and not take it at the last minute, as the industry must organize and it takes some time. Renault, in its FutuREady plan, gave a target of incorporating 30% of recycled materials for the entire range.

Automakers set varied recycled material targets

Concepts like the Scenic Vision and Twingo E-Tech already integrate up to 30% and 50% of recycled and bio-based materials. Toyota targets a share of 30%, and Stellantis targets 35% of recycled materials. German groups, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi, bet on 40% of circular materials between 2030 and 2040.

Recycled plastic use is still limited in current vehicles

However, only an average of 3% of the plastics present in vehicles in 2026 is recycled from end-of-life vehicles. Sophie Schmidtlin explained that the use of recycled plastic is not complicated, but the industry is only starting, and this is reflected in the volumes collected.

Plastic types in vehicles vary widely

On average, 30 to 40% of the plastics present in a car are polypropylene (PP), which includes bumpers, dashboards, door trims, or wheel arches. The second plastic material present in vehicles is polyurethane, between 15 and 20% (seat foams, headrests, or acoustic foams). PVC, ABS (a type of polymer), and polyamides each represent a share between 5 and 15%.

Recyclers face challenges with multiple plastic types

In total, more than thirteen different types of plastic make up a car, which makes the task complicated for recyclers. Élise Moreau noted that today, suppliers focus on the treatment of PP but do not neglect the other plastics either. She said that today, they are capable of recycling all plastics, and the challenge now is around the raw material: finding the right sources.

Recyclers rely on structured industry and sorting

Hence the importance for the suppliers to work with Gaia or Galloo Plastics. To exploit the necessary volumes, companies are sometimes forced to turn to the "yellow bin," but again, a sorting must take place to meet the specific requirements of the automotive industry.

Cost challenges for recycled plastic

Sophie Schmidtlin stated that the regulation could also have an effect on costs. The demand for recycled plastic by manufacturers should increase with a change in scale in terms of industrialization, thus allowing to improve costs. The other challenge is to offer a product at a price that is not prohibitive for manufacturers.

Competition between recycled and virgin plastics

Plastic recycling specialists thus find themselves competing with virgin plastic producers. The price of the barrel of oil plays the role of arbiter. These last three years, the price of the barrel has been at particularly low levels, favoring virgin plastic. However, recently, the trend has reversed.

Recycled plastic is cheaper but needs added value

Élise Moreau noted that recycled plastic is cheaper than virgin plastic, however, the way to formulate it to reach the same level of performance remains costly, because they add value. The European text does not only impose a rate of recycled materials. The regulation also acts upstream, from the design of vehicles.

Design changes to support recycling

Parts and components will have to be removed more easily to favor their reuse, remanufacturing, and especially their recycling. From September 1, 2032, new types of vehicles will have to be designed to be reusable or recyclable to at least 85% of their mass and reusable or valorizable to at least 95%.

Manufacturers must track materials in supply chains

Manufacturers will have to collect more data on the materials used and ensure their traceability within the supply chain. David Meneses noted that the design drives the specifications, what they call the "bill of materials." Manufacturers analyze line by line the risks in the case of a change of material and evaluate how much it costs them.

Collaboration helps meet new regulations

This is therefore a dialogue that is engaged around this new regulation, which presents itself to them as an opportunity. Like other suppliers, OPmobility works with its partner manufacturers to develop products that limit the number of raw materials in a product.

Innovative products increase recyclability

For example, for a classic tailgate composed of different materials, the recyclability is only 15%. OPmobility has developed a concept tailgate called "Green Gate," limiting the number of materials and allowing to reach a recyclability rate of 99%. The Future is Neutral works with manufacturers to develop material catalogs incorporating recycled plastic.