Audi has found an ingenious way to source plastic for the seat belt buckles of the new Q8 e-tron SUV; the buckle casings are partially made from mixed automotive plastic waste, including grilles, bumpers and underbody covers. It all starts with removing parts from old, damaged vehicles that are beyond repair; the next step involves removing any metal clips and other foreign materials from the selected parts. Thanks to a special chemical recycling process, all the recycled plastic is transformed into a granulate that can be used for the production of new parts.
While Audi is limited to the production of a small component such as a belt buckle safety, recycled parts reduce the cost of raw materials in the production of the Q8 e-tron. The initiative is part of the PlasticLoop project in collaboration with LyondellBasell, a chemical multinational and producer of plastic materials. Audi says this is the first time safety components have been produced this way, although we're pretty confident it won't be the last.
Several automakers including Renault, BMW and Fiat, showed interest in using sustainable, recyclable and recycled materials for the interior trim and exterior panels of their vehicles. Even Hyundai, especially on Ioniq 5, has spent itself on finding innovative materials, even cleaning up the seas. For the automotive industry, this is a really interesting novelty that makes it possible to optimize both the procurement times of specific materials and to improve costs. Curiosity now arises spontaneously; After the plastic cover of the seat belts, will Audi also expand the program to include other "hidden" elements?
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