Automotive giant Volvo Cars, has unveiled ambitious plans to increase the use of recyclate, with the company pledging on 18 June to use at least 25% recycled plastics in every newly launched car by 2025.
The company unveiled a specially-built version of its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV, that looks identical to the existing model but had several of its plastic components replaced with equivalents containing recycled materials.
The special XC60's interior has a tunnel console made from renewable fibres and plastics from discarded fishing nets and maritime ropes.
According to Volvo, the floor carpet contains fibres derived from PET plastic bottles and a recycled cotton mix from clothing manufacturers' offcuts.
The seats also use PET fibres from plastic bottles.
Additionally, car seats from old Volvo cars were used to create the sound-absorbing material under the car bonnet.
“We already work with some great, forward-thinking suppliers when it comes to sustainability,” said Martina Buchhauser, senior vice president of global procurement at Volvo Cars.
However, he noted that the company needed to increase its access to recycled plastics “if we are to make our ambition a reality.”
To that end, the company has called on more suppliers and new partners to join it in investing in recycled plastics.
The Chinese-owned car maker urged the automotive suppliers to work more closely with car manufacturers to develop next-generation sustainable components, particularly ones that contain more recycled plastics.
“Volvo Cars is committed to minimising its global environmental footprint,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.
“Environmental care is one of Volvo's core values and we will continue to find new ways to bring this into our business,” he noted.
The recycled-plastics XC60 was revealed at the Ocean Summit during the Gothenburg Volvo Ocean Race stopover.
The race's focus on sustainability centres on a partnership with the United Nations Environment Clean Seas campaign, focussing on the call to action, ‘turn the tide on plastic'.
Volvo's announcement is the latest in a series of decisions to address current environmental issues. Last month, the carmaker committed to removing single-use plastics across all its premises and events by the end of 2019.
In 2017, the company announced a commitment to electrify all new Volvo cars launched after 2019. Along the same line, the company said in May that it aimed for fully electric cars to make up 50% of its global sales by 2025.