Volvo Goes Green: Cars Will Use 25% Recycled Plastics Starting 2025

A "Love the Environment" plan is on the works within Volvo's headquarters for some time now, and the first one on its bucket list for the year 2025: 25 percent of the plastics used for its newest models will be recycled.

Unlike other companies that focus on designing products that are recyclable, Volvo is taking the next level by using recycled materials like plastics on the cars they're producing.

"Extensive recycling and reuse of plastic is vital to our efforts to turn the tide on plastic pollution," said Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment. "Volvo's move to integrate plastic waste into the design of their next fleet of cars sets a new benchmark that we hope others in the car industry will follow. This is proof that this problem can be solved by design and innovation."

In fact, the company has already started its goal of "minimizing its global environmental footprint" using five percent recycled plastics in the 600,000 units it sold last year.

Still, its more ambitious goal is that from 2025, at least 25 percent of the plastics used in every newly launched Volvo car will be made from recycled materials. What's more they will be materials that don't require rigid safety or quality standards to use.

"Environment-Friendly" Volvo in Action

To demonstrate its viability, Volvo has even built an XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV and replaced some of its plastic items with recycled plastic materials. They introduced the "environment-friendly" XC60 T8 at the Ocean Summit during the Gothenburg Volvo Ocean Race stopover.

Recycled counterparts that replaced the original materials were seen in different parts of the vehicle. For instance, the carpet used in the cars have fibers made from PET plastic bottles and recycled cotton mix from 'clothing manufacturers' offcuts.' The seats were made from plastic bottles and PET fibers.

Moreover, ropes and fishing nets were incorporated in the tunnel console, while used Volvo car seats were "used to create the sound-absorbing material under the car bonnet."

According to Volvo, its move to "recycled plastics is the most progressive statement around the use of recycled plastic by any premium automotive manufacturer." It also demonstrates the company's "commitment towards reducing its impact on the environment across all operations and products."