Automotive plastics recycling

It is difficult nowadays to imagine a car without plastics. Whether under the hood, in the passenger compartment or under the body, a considerate number of the fittings in a modern car are made of plastic. Plastics have not only replaced traditional materials but have brought about genuine technical progress. For it is not just a question of making cheaper cars but also of enhancing their quality, from the repairs and maintenance, service life and safety viewpoints. The automotive industry, which uses a lot of plastic, thus provides a perfect illustration of all the advantages contributed by plastics. This paper will present recent trends in automotive plastics and their recycling possibilities.