Reuse to Reduce Plastic: TVS and the World Environment Day 2025

When we think of some key inventions that have driven human civilisation toward greater prosperity, the wheel will top the list. By utilising its unique features, human civilisation has unlocked many of the unprecedented technologies, including modern transportation. The vehicles we see now are basically the cumulative result of thousands of designs since the first wheeled vehicles were invented in 3500-3350 BCE.

Evolution of Automobiles: From Metal to Plastic

The endeavour to develop vehicles has not stopped, as each generation is redefining speed, efficiency, and utility. Not long ago, heavy metals were primarily used to manufacture automobiles. But today high-performance plastics are increasingly being used, not only in body structure but also in internal and external parts. On average, a modern automotive vehicle comprises around 30,000 parts, and approximately one-third of the parts are made from plastic. Research findings reveal that a modern personal car contains 23 types of plastics, weighing 222 kg (accounting for 17.7% of its total weight) on average.

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Parts of an Automobile (Source: Plasticos Llorens)

Why Plastic? The Benefits in Automotive Design

The use of plastic in the automotive industry has brought advancements in multi-dimensional aspects. Being lighter than metals, plastic helps to improve a vehicle’s performance, sustainability, speed, and well-look design. The lightweight solution also reduces fuel consumption by 0.2 litres per 100 km and CO₂ emissions by 10 g/km. It helps to manufacture the whole vehicle more efficiently, effectively holding the parts within the structures. Moreover, plastic ensures well-integration and secure fitting of automobile parts within the structure. They also play a critical role in ensuring passenger safety. To enhance safety, plastics help to fulfil the essential requirements in vehicles, such as airbags, dashboards, safe bumpers, and fire safety devices. For example, modern fuel tanks are made from fire-resistant plastics, which reduces the fire risk in case of a leak or accident.

Plastic Pollution from Automotive Waste

But using plastic in the automotive sector does not leave only positive impacts; it has negative impacts too. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), one of the most toxic polymers, has a share of around 12-17% in the plastic material of modern cars today. PVC is not recyclable, and after the end of the vehicle’s life, it is trashed and left as waste, which essentially pollutes our environment. Furthermore, toxic additives are mixed with other types of recyclable plastic materials, such as polyurethane (PU) and polypropylene (PP), declining the recyclability. These problems are part of a larger plastic pollution threat to the environment.

Plastic Scrap from Car Parts (Source: Vecteezy)

Environmental Impact of Plastic Waste

This plastic pollution does not merely damage the soil; it leads to mass health complications, habitat destruction, reduced biodiversity, and climate change. To address these challenges, global communities, governments, and industries are working together to find sustainable solutions that reduce and decline plastic usage. Maintaining this momentum, this year’s World Environment Day is being celebrated worldwide under the theme 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.

Technovative Solutions and the EcoPlast Initiative

At Technovative Solutions (TVS), we also have joined this global movement to minimise plastic usage. To promote circular economy in the automotive plastic value chain, a 36-month-spanned new project is set to be implemented, titled ‘Empowering Circular Operations in the Automotive Plastics Value Chain (EcoPlast)’ under the HORIZON programme of the European Union. TVS is managing and coordinating the project. We will also lead requirement analysis and specifications for eight use case demonstrations in the automotive plastics value chain, develop predictive modelling using AI to characterise plastic materials, develop a circularity index and digital marketplace and digital product passport platform, and lead environmental, social and economic impacts assessment.

EcoPlast Logo

Within the project, comprehensive digital solutions will be developed to ensure high quality, non-toxicity and durability of secondary materials. The share of secondary materials will be increased in new products. Recovery, recycling and upcycling rates will be increased, and uptake of secondary materials for high-value applications will also be proliferated.

The EcoPlast platform will consist of a secured and privacy-protected collaborative space, an ecoDesign tool assisting circular product design, an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) tool for increasing sustainability, a CI (Circularity Index) calculator for measuring circularity, and Digital Twins (DTs) for process optimisation for extrusion and injection moulding processes as well as upcycling and recycling processes. AI and robotics will be integrated for End-of-life Vehicle (ELV) management processes consisting of detection, sorting, and dismantling. A circular marketplace on the platform will help trading recycled and upcycled products. This will also help in the reuse, repair, refurbishment and remanufacture of dismantled automotive plastic parts. All these activities will help create new value chains around the automotive plastic sector.

DigiProd Pass Ltd (DPPL): Leading Blockchain Circularity

A central piece of the EcoPlast Project is the Digital Product Passport (DPP), powered by blockchain technology—and led by one of TVS’ specialist divisions, DigiProd Pass Ltd (DPPL). As a key contributor to EcoPlast, DPPL is spearheading the development of the digital technology platform, focusing on creating a robust blockchain-enabled DPP framework. This passport will ensure complete traceability of automotive plastic products, boost transparency and trust across the value chain, and support 100% sorting efficiency—a huge leap forward in sustainable product lifecycle management. A circular marketplace on the platform will help trading recycled and upcycled products. This will also help in the reuse, repair, refurbishment and remanufacture of dismantled automotive plastic parts. All these activities will help create new value chains around the automotive plastic sector. DPPL’s contribution is pivotal in promoting digital circularity and reinforcing the global mission to #BeatPlasticPollution.

Sustainable Materials and Demonstrations

Automotive plastic parts will also be manufactured in this project using recycled plastics, bio-composites and bio-based plastics and will be demonstrated, tested, and validated along with the developed digital technologies in large-scale facilities. Novel recycling and upcycling technologies will also be demonstrated.

Call to Action: Act Now!

Through actively managing and implementing the EcoPlast project, TVS is showcasing our relentless efforts to reduce plastics from our nature and uphold the environmental values top most. Let’s take a vow together and work hand in hand to keep the planet alive for our future generation and free from the deadliest plastic pollution.

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