On 24–25 June 2025, the EcoPlast project officially kicked off at the Hyatt Regency in Manchester, UK, hosted by project coordinator Technovative Solutions Ltd. (TVS).
The two-day consortium meeting brought together key industry players and research institutions from across Europe. Funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme, EcoPlast brings together top automotive manufacturers, researchers, and circular economy innovators to tackle one of the industry’s biggest challenges: plastic waste.
With support from partners like Ford Otosan, Centro Ricerche Fiat, and DigiProd Pass Ltd, and several leading universities, EcoPlast is set to transform the automotive plastics value chain through digital tools and circular economy principles.
A Global Plastic Waste Crisis
Plastics have become one of the most pressing environmental concerns of our time. Global plastic production has increased exponentially, from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to over 450 million tonnes in 2019. Yet only around 9% of plastic waste is recycled, and the rest is incinerated, landfilled, or ends up polluting ecosystems. In 2021 alone, an estimated 139 million tonnes of single-use plastic waste were generated, much of it designed for short-term use but with long-term consequences.
While public attention often focuses on packaging waste, industrial sectors, including automotive, play a substantial role in both the production and disposal of plastics.
Automotive Industry’s Role in Plastic Pollution
Modern vehicles contain around 150–200 kg of plastic, representing up to 20% of their total weight. Most are made from non-recyclable polymers, making recovery at end-of-life difficult
With global car ownership expected to surpass 2 billion by 2030, unmanaged plastic waste risks undermining climate goals and the European Green Deal.
EcoPlast: A Digital Framework for Circular Plastics
Funded under Horizon Europe (Call: HORIZON-CL6-2024-CIRCBIO-02), EcoPlast: Empowering Circular Operations in the Automotive Plastics Value Chain is a three-year, €7.5 million project coordinated by Technovative Solutions Ltd. and delivered by a consortium of 14 partners across Europe.
The project will create a secure digital platform to boost the use of secondary materials, ensure non-toxicity, and improve recyclability and traceability. Key features include:
- Blockchain-based Digital Product Passport for full material traceability
- ecoDesign tools for sustainable product development
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impact
- A Circularity Index for monitoring product circularity
- Digital Twins to optimise production and recycling
- AI and robotics for vehicle dismantling and sorting
- A Circular Marketplace for trading recycled and bio-based materials
EcoPlast will demonstrate these innovations through nine industrial use cases, showcasing recycled plastics, bio-composites and bio-based alternatives in real-world automotive manufacturing.
Highlights from the EcoPlast Kick-off Meeting in Manchester
The Manchester event set the tone for the collaborative ambition of EcoPlast. Day 1 opened with a project overview by TVS’s Chief Operating Officer and the EcoPlast Project Coordinator, Tamanna Khan and Technical Lead Anisuzzaman Khan.
Partners presented their respective use cases and participated in sessions on ecoDesign, AI integration, and digital passport implementation. Ms Stefania Rocca, EU Project Officer at the European Research Executive Agency (REA), addressed the consortium, emphasising the project's role in Europe’s green and digital transition.
Day 2 focused on structured workshops led by TVS, including sessions on KPI definition and specification and requirement analysis for use case demonstrations, both crucial for aligning expectations across the project’s eight work packages.
In total, EcoPlast will demonstrate nine industrial use cases across real-world automotive plastic applications. The event concluded with a General Assembly and an open discussion, encouraging transparency and shared ownership of the project’s future.
Participating organisations included leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), material suppliers, academic institutions, and circular economy specialists from the UK, Türkiye, and Italy. Key partners will lead the development of blockchain-enabled DPPs, bringing expertise in cross-sector circularity from their previous work in batteries, textiles, and furniture.
The EcoPlast Consortium includes the following members:
Technovative Solutions LTD (TVS) | Ford Otosan | Centro Ricerche Fiat | Stryker Design Ltd | Assan Hanil | Adler Pelzer Group | eurotec® Engineering Plastics | Proplast | Beker Recycle Waste Management & Vehicle Recycling | Autodemolizione Pollini | Sabanci University | Brunel University of London | Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd | İstanbul Üniversitesi (Istanbul University) | SIMULARGE Global | Kordsa | DigiProd Pass Ltd.
Looking Ahead
As the EU proposes new regulatory frameworks, such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR), to push more sustainable and transparent product value chains, projects like EcoPlast take the lead in innovation and sector-wide cooperation, not just to reduce plastic waste, but to reimagine how materials are designed, used, and reused in the automotive industry.
The road to sustainable mobility is long, but with initiatives like EcoPlast, the wheels are already in motion.
EcoPlast is funded by the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) under Grant Agreement No 101182147.
