Axion Polymers has supplied its 100% recycled polymer from end-of-life vehicles to help a leading automotive manufacturer demonstrate the use of sustainable components in new cars.

Axpoly PP polymer was blended 50/50 with a polypropylene recycled from packaging waste to achieve a specification required by vehicle designers for reuse in new vehicle components.

An initial sample of this plastic blend has been used successfully to mould both internal and external body parts for a new car in a collaborative demonstration project for Volvo Car Group involving more than 40 suppliers of vehicle components.

Axion’s strong technical expertise and continual development of high-quality recycled polymer grades that can replace virgin plastics in new cars supports the automotive industry in its transition from a ‘Linear’ to a Circular Economy.

At the Ocean Summit conference, held in June at Gothenburg, Sweden, Volvo Car Group set out its ambition that at least 25% of the plastics used in every newly-launched Volvo car will be made from recycled material after 2025. The car maker unveiled a specially-built version of its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV model which has over 170 plastic parts (circa 60 kilos) made out of recycled plastics in place of virgin polymers.

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’.

Keith Freegard, Associate Consultant at Axion Polymers, who attended the Ocean Summit conference, commented: “It was great to take part in the Ocean Summit debate and to see large multi-national organisations making strong commitments to tackle this worldwide and hugely-significant issue.”

As the main sponsor of the yacht race, Volvo Car Group has taken a ‘strong and leading’ position in its commitment to the increased use of sustainable materials in its vehicles, said Keith.

He added: “Seeing the ‘first adopters’ take the lead in such an important market as motor vehicles really gives me hope that the problem of ocean plastic pollution can be solved by taking such positive action for change.”

Axion Polymers hosted a fact-finding visit to its two Manchester recycling facilities by the lead MEP and appointed Rapporteur for drawing up regulations on persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Julie Girling, MEP for South West England and Gibraltar, viewed the complex processes used to extract plastics from end-of-life vehicles at Axion’s Trafford Park and Salford sites during her tour in August.

Invited by Keith Freegard, she learnt how Axpoly® recycled polymers, derived from automotive shredder residue and electrical end-of-life feedstocks, are extracted and processed for use in a variety of new items, from drainage and ventilation products to vehicle components.

Plastic extracted from end-of-life vehicles at the Trafford Park facility is further refined at the Salford advanced processing plant. Both sites have undergone substantial investment in recent years, including new plant and laboratory facilities. These are driving growth and expanding Axion Polymers’ technical capability in supplying tailored polymers to suit specific end-user requirements, such as modified melt flow, impact resistance and tensile strength.

Concern is growing among plastics recyclers over a European Parliament proposal to set a concentration limit of 10ppm for the flame retardant decaBDE in substances and products that could negatively impact the recycling of plastics from vehicles and electronic equipment.

Keith stated: “Stricter controls on the export of low-grade waste plastics to unregulated countries should enable more investment in UK recycling, like we’ve already done. But I think that’s only going to happen by ‘demand-creating’ legislation which rewards manufacturers who demonstrate much higher levels of recycled plastics in their products; then we will see duplication of the type of plants that Axion has developed.

“A sensible and pragmatic limit is needed for the trace levels of banned BFRs in recycled plastics, to match those set under existing EU REACH regulations. That will allow for the growth of more waste plastics re-processing in Europe, but a 10ppm limit is a very big challenge.”

An ongoing study by a joint working group aims to define the position of the EU on this low POP content trace limit value. The safe limit values for both waste plastics and products made from recycled polymer under the UN’s Stockholm Convention are yet to be agreed. The next Conference of the Parties of the Stockholm and Basel Conventions will take place during 2019 where a decision is expected.

Julie, who has been dealing with recycling legislation for 10 years as an MEP, commented: “The tour was really interesting; it’s important that these companies are supported. I’ve gained further understanding of how recycling works in practice and the implications of increasing plastic’s recyclability to prevent it from ending up in the oceans.

“There’s no reason why one piece of plastic waste from Europe should be in an ocean anywhere. But in order to prevent that we have to make significant investment in developing our European recycling business and we’ve been discussing the different pieces of legislation that go towards that; some of which is very important to Axion’s business.”

Julie added: “Recycling is something that we all want to do. Not many people are prepared to accept that it’s expensive, requires a huge amount of capital investment and the payback has to be given some certainty and the only way to do that is through legislation, which is why we need to discuss the content of the legislation in some detail.”

Jane Gardner, Head of Axion’s Consulting Services, will be leaving at the end of August 2018 to take up a new senior pan-European role.

One of Axion’s earliest employees, Jane is moving to her next career challenge as Managing Director of the European Resilient Flooring Institute (ERFMI) based in Brussels.

Axion Director Roger Morton said: “This is a role she is well-qualified to take on; quite an achievement for a Brit to be asked to take on such a job in these Brexit days!”

“We are very sad to see Jane leave Axion; she was one of our earliest employees. She has been the driving force behind the development of the many successful recycling collection schemes that we manage and has led and delivered numerous other novel recycling projects for many different clients over the past 15 years.”

Jane joined Axion in 2006 as a Project Co-ordinator, having previously worked as a sub-contractor doing German-English translations and other project related activities. Initially responsible for administration relating to Recovinyl, she secured repeat contracts for managing this successful PVC Recycling scheme.

Alongside this, she set up Recofloor, the UK’s vinyl flooring recycling scheme, RecoMed, a UK-wide take-back scheme that recycles PVC used in healthcare and the management of Carpet Recycling UK. All of her schemes have won numerous awards over the years.

The industry collection schemes will now be led by Richard McKinlay, Axion’s Head of Circular Economy and supported by the rest of the team.

Carpet Recycling UK will continue to be managed overall by Axion, spearheaded by Adnan Zeb-Khan as CRUK Scheme Manager. Adnan, who has over 20 years of experience in the waste sector, will work with Marie Rhodes and the rest of the CRUK team to continue to drive forward the diversion of carpets from landfill.

Roger added: “All of us wish Jane well in her new role and I know she will continue to contribute to the circular economy by lobbying for effective legislation in Europe. I am sure we will be working closely with her in the future to our mutual benefit.”