Volvo Cars announced its ambition that from 2025, at least 25% of the plastics used in every newly launched Volvo car will be made from recycled material.

Volvo Cars also urged auto industry suppliers to work more closely with car makers to develop next-generation components that are as sustainable as possible, especially with regards to containing more recycled plastics.

To demonstrate the viability of this ambition, the company unveiled a specially-built version of its XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid SUV that looks identical to the existing model, but has had several of its plastic components replaced with equivalents containing recycled materials.

The special XC60’s interior has a tunnel console made from renewable fibers and plastics from discarded fishing nets and maritime ropes. On the floor, the carpet contains fibres made from PET plastic bottles and a recycled cotton mix from clothing manufacturers’ offcuts. The seats also use PET fibres from plastic bottles. Used car seats from old Volvo cars were used to create the sound-absorbing material under the car hood.

We already work with some great, forward-thinking suppliers when it comes to sustainability. However, we do need increased availability of recycled plastics if we are to make our ambition a reality. That is why we call on even more suppliers and new partners to join us in investing in recycled plastics and to help us realize our ambition.

—Martina Buchhauser, Senior Vice President of Global Procurement at Volvo Cars

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, focusing on the call to action, ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’.

The recycled plastics ambition is the most progressive statement to date around the use of recycled plastic by any premium automotive manufacturer. It represents another demonstration of Volvo Cars’ commitment towards reducing its impact on the environment across all operations and products. Last month, Volvo Cars committed to eradicate single-use plastics across all its premises and events by the end of 2019.

In 2017, the company announced an industry-leading commitment to electrify all new Volvo cars launched after 2019. Last month, Volvo Cars reinforced this strategy, by stating that it aims for fully electric cars to make up 50% of its global sales by 2025.

In terms of operations, Volvo Cars aims to have climate-neutral manufacturing operations by 2025. In January this year, the engine plant in Skövde, Sweden, became its first climate-neutral facility.