Rondo Plast, a member of the Polykemi Group, is supporting Volvo Cars ambition to have at least 25% of the plastic in their cars being made from sustainable materials by 2025. The Volvo Cars demonstrator vehicle that was revealed this summer exemplifies their commitment to this ambition, which reportedly is the most progressive by any premium automotive manufacturer.

The car originates from the existing XC60 model. Plastic parts weighing in at about 60 kg are replaced by recycled plastic in this project. As a compounder, we have been involved since the beginning of the development of the car, says Fredrik Holst, product manager at Rondo Plast. The company suppliers Repro compounds based on polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) and other resins.

The sources of Rondo's recycled plastic materials are both industrial and consumer waste. The materials from Rondo in the demonstrator car are used in air ducts, the central console behind the radio and the display, the wheel arcs, and the loading floor support structure, among other applications.

“Our material is often used in load-bearing and technical components which are covered by a surface material,” Fredrik Holst continues. It is among these components that Volvo Cars has the best opportunity to achieve their ambitious goal, where at least 25% of the plastic in their cars will be recycled raw materials by 2025. 

“We take our hat off to Volvo Cars for being the first vehicle manufacturer in the premium segment to take this stand. It is our absolute intention to continue to be the partner in quality assured compounds based on wholly or partly recycled raw materials,” concludes Fredrik Holst.