LyondellBasell and Audi create the first automotive plastic parts from mixed automotive plastic waste

LyondellBasell and Audi on Monday announced a first-time partnership to help close the loop for mixed automotive plastic waste. Audi is installing plastic seatbelt buckle covers in the Q8 e-tron created by making use of LyondellBasell plastic that supports the sourcing of feedstocks from mixed automotive plastic waste. Plastic parts from consumer vehicles that can no longer be restored are dismantled, shredded, and treated by chemical recycling into pyrolysis oil. The pyrolysis oil is then used as a raw material in LyondellBasell’s manufacturing process to manufacture new plastics, replacing virgin fossil feedstocks. The recycled content is ascribed to the Audi product by a mass balance approach.

As part of the PlasticLoop project, the company is working with Audi to establish an innovative closed-loop process, recycling plastic automotive parts for use in new vehicles, said Erik Licht, Director, of New Business Development at LyondellBasell Advanced Polymer Solutions.

For the first time, the company is using chemical recycling to recycle mixed automotive plastic waste into plastic granulation for automotive interior applications. The plastic granulate is then used in the production of the seatbelt buckle covers for the Audi Q8 e-tron, Licht added.

With this method, LyondellBasell, Audi, and chemical recycler SynCycle (Next Generation Group and BDI), achieve in recycling a stream of material which currently is mainly just suitable for energy recovery. This reduces the usage of fossil-based core materials for the Audi Q8 e-tron and holds significant feedstocks in a circular loop.

Materials generated from pyrolysis oil are of a similar high quality as virgin materials and have identical properties. Chemical recycling extends an alternative to energy recovery and adds mechanical recycling.

“Audi’s vision is to use secondary materials wherever it is technically possible, economically viable, and ecologically beneficial,” states Philipp Eder, Project Manager for Circular Economy in the Supply Chain at Audi.

The PlasticLoop project is part of Audi’s circular economy strategy and a good instance of cross-sector cooperation contained by the Audi supply chain. Outcomes from the project are also integrated into the product development of future vehicle projects via the ‘‘Design for Recycling’’ approach, Eder added.

LyondellBasell’s polymer product (including fillers and additives) is produced from chemical recycling making use of 70% recycled content by weight. The recycled content is distributed by a mass balance technique, and validated by an independent certification body, ecoloop. This implies that recycled and non-recycled feedstocks are mixed in the production process, and an extent of recycled feedstock equivalent to 70% of the Audi product was attributed using a certified mass balance accounting methodology.

About Audi

The Audi Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the premium and luxury sectors. The brands Audi, Ducati, Lamborghini, and Bentley create at 21 locations in 13 countries. Audi and its partners are present in over 100 markets worldwide. In 2021, the Audi Group delivered about 1.681 million cars from the Audi brand, 8,405 sports cars from the Lamborghini brand, and 59,447 motorcycles from the Ducati brand to customers. In 2021, Audi AG attained a total revenue of €53.1 billion and an operating profit prior to special items of €5.5 billion. More than 89,000 people across the globe work for the Audi Group, around 58,000 of them in Germany.

With its attractive brands, new models, innovative mobility offerings, and leading-edge services, the group is methodically pursuing its path toward becoming a provider of sustainable, individual, premium mobility.

About LyondellBasell

As a leader in the global chemical industry, LyondellBasell strives every day to be the best, top-quality, and most valued company in the industry. The company’s materials, products, and technological know-how are advancing sustainable solutions for food safety, access to clean water, healthcare, and fuel efficiency in more than 100 international markets. LyondellBasell places a high priority on diversity, equity, and inclusion and is Advancing Good with prominence on the planet, the communities where it operates, and the future workforce.

The firm takes great pride in its state-of-the-art technology and customer emphasis. LyondellBasell has paced up its circularity and climate ambitions and measures to address the global trials of plastic waste and decarbonization. In 2022, LyondellBasell was named one of FORTUNE Magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” for the fifth consecutive year.