Recyclers applaud EU’s new plastic recycling goal for cars

The European Commission’s proposed mandatory target to incorporate at least 25% of recycled plastics into new cars was met with praise from recyclers and scepticism from carmakers and the plastics industry.

Plastics are everywhere, the saying goes, which is also true in the automotive sector.

By volume, 50% of today’s cars are made of plastic, according to EuRIC, the European recycling industry association. That includes dashboards, bumpers, handles, buttons, casings, ceiling fabric, seats and seat belts, airbags, carpeting, etc., the group said in a paper.

Because plastics are lightweight and contribute to fuel efficiency, demand for the material in the auto sector has kept…