Until recently, the main objective of component manufacturers was to reduce the weight of every single part of a vehicle. Now, in addition, we want to achieve the same thing, but using recycled materials: this will effectively reduce our footprint on the planet. In the first instance, the automotive industry set out to electrify the vehicle fleet in order to reduce emissions of polluting gases.

But immediately afterwards it wanted something else, much more: to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible. And that can only be achieved through circularity: converting end-of-life materials into new raw materials. And for I Alegre, that means incorporating recycled materials into manufacturing.

Overcoming old problems

For a long time, recycled plastics have been frowned upon in the automotive industry because they presented three fundamental problems:

• that the supply of this material was not sufficiently uniform
• that it was a higher-priced product than virgin material
• and that its homogeneity left much to be desired, causing aesthetic problems

We cannot say that these difficulties have been completely overcome, but the evolution of materials coming onto the market invites optimism, with production becoming more and more predictable in terms of supply, technical characteristics and costs.

This is why recycled plastic, which until now appeared in only a few areas of the vehicle, is now prescribed in all types of projects, except, for the moment, for aesthetic parts. But we know that we will also be able to overcome this point in a short time.

Continuous research to offer security to the market

At I Alegre we are well aware of the evolution of recycled materials in recent years because some time ago we launched a research project on these materials. This is RECILAB-IA, a laboratory in which we analyze plastics from post-industrial use, post-consumer origin or bio-production.

From our observatory, we have found that these materials, which are very valuable for our progress towards real neutrality, can behave very differently from virgin plastic, and we make sure we know them well before proposing them to our customers and transforming them into components. In this analysis process, we have seen how companies that produce recycled pellets are progressing and we have learned valuable lessons on how to incorporate their use in our manufacturing.

This knowledge allows us to advance in the use of recycled materials to achieve these figures:

• By 2023 we use 5% recycled materials in our production
• By the end of 2024 we will have raised that figure to a minimum of 15%
• And by 2030 we plan to be using at least 25% recycled plastic

The road to recovery

Old fishing nets, vegetable waste, unusable textiles... according to some reports, it seems that anything goes to create recycled plastics, but the industry is looking at a very specific point: the recovery of high-quality materials from end-of-life vehicles. But the industry's focus is on a very specific point: the recovery of high-quality materials from end-of-life vehicles, because only 19% of these elements are currently being recovered, and new legislation will soon require the recycling of all these tons of material that today is simply considered waste.

So our forecast is that, from 2030 onwards, the increase in the use of recycled plastics will be remarkable. After all, considering that automotive plastics today account for 10% of total consumption, we have an important role to play. It is our responsibility.