It is estimated that in the best case 30 kg recycled non-metallic material could be used in a new car. The graph above shows how much there is in S40 2007.
Recycling
Improved recycling is one important method of reducing the consumption of finite natural resources.
The achievement of this goal requires that we, as a customer, use recycled materials. In our own operations, we measure our use of recycled, non-metallic materials as a means of demonstrating that we are working actively as a customer.
Use of Recycled, Non-Metallic Materials
In a smoothly functioning recycling system, the recycled materials are used to make new products. In this context, the use of recycled non-metallic materials1 in new cars is one contribution which the automotive industry can make.
New Applications
Volvo Cars in cooperation with its suppliers and the Ford Motor Company, is working to identify areas in which recycled, non-metallic materials may realistically be used. Components such as the inner wheel housings contain the largest amount of recycled materials. Our objective is to gradually increase the proportion of recycled materials used in components.
Best and Worst Cases
Volvo Cars estimates that 30 kg of recycled non-metallic materials could be used in a new car where reasonable from holistic environmental perspective, subject to prevailing quality standards and the availability of materials. This figure is, therefore, used to define the best case. The worst case is when the car contains no recycled non-metallic materials.
¹ Volvo Cars includes 'post-consumer' and 'post-industrial' in its definition of recycled non-metallic materials. However, materials reuse in the form of reworking, regrinding or scrapping are not included since this is part of general business as of today. For further information, see the definition of recycled non-metallic materials in Ford Worldwide design standard 00.00-D28-3 2.1.5 – 2.1.7.
Renewables
Just like recycling, using renewable materials reduces the consumption of finite natural resources. In many components, the finite feedstock can be replaced by renewable materials from the nature around us.
Use of Renewable Resources
In our strive for sustainable development, Volvo Cars wants to shift from using finite resources to using renewable materials from nature. We already use renewable materials in close to 100 vegetable-based components, mostly sound absorption blocks or mats made of cotton fibers. A number of door panels and head linings are also based on renewable sources and now we aim at a continual increase of the renewable materials share in a Volvo.
Volvo Cars, in cooperation with its suppliers and the Ford Motor Company, is working to identify areas in which renewable materials may realistically be used. The glass fibre reinforcement in composites may be replaced by natural fibres such as flax, jute or hemp, and in a second step, the plastic materials could be made from cellulose, rape seed oil or soy bean oil instead of fossil oil. Apart from reducing the use of finite resources, the renewable materials also have other advantages. For example, the natural fibres can help reduce weight and have excellent sound deadening properties.