BMW Group to Use Marine Waste Recycled Plastic Parts in 2025 New Class Product Lineup

Recycling Marine Waste Such as Fishing Nets

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] BMW Group announced on the 16th that it plans to apply plastic parts made by recycling marine waste such as fishing nets to the ‘New Class’ product line, BMW’s innovative electrification and digitalization strategy model scheduled for release in 2025.

BMW Group has developed a process to produce plastic granules from marine waste such as discarded fishing nets and ropes through collaboration with the Danish company Plastix.

Until now, materials recycled from marine waste were mainly used in textiles, but the material developed by BMW Group this time has the unique characteristic of being injection moldable for the first time, allowing it to be used in manufacturing parts such as exterior and interior components. BMW Group plans to apply these recycled plastic parts to up to 30% of the components, which is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by about 25% compared to conventionally produced plastic parts and contribute to preventing marine pollution.

Meanwhile, BMW Group is already applying the synthetic fiber Econyl, made by recycling marine waste, to floor mats in models such as the BMW iX and X1. Econyl is produced from discarded fishing nets, worn floor coverings, and residues discarded during plastic production processes.

Currently, the proportion of secondary raw materials in the thermoplastic plastics used by BMW Group averages 20%, with a goal to expand this to 40% by 2030.

BMW Group is making comprehensive efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In particular, by maintaining a high recycling rate during the production process, it reduces approximately 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide and about 1,600 tons of waste annually.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.