Volvo Cars has been very vocal about its plan to electrify its product range beginning in 2019. It likewise aims for 50 percent of its sales to be made up of fully-electric offerings by the year 2025. And that same year is when it plans to have its cars and SUVs made up of at least 25 percent recycled plastics.
Yes, Volvo Cars wants to be known as one of, if not the greenest carmakers on the planet. By utilizing recycled plastics, it hopes to substantially reduce its carbon footprint. To demonstrate its rather lofty ambitions, it showcased a Volvo XC60 T8 PHEV with, you guessed it, a host of recycled plastic parts.
From the outside, the SUV looks like any other model that you can buy right off the showroom floor. But Volvo says that the plug-in hybrid SUV uses bits like discarded fishing nets and ropes that have been turned into the SUV’s console tunnel. The seats likewise use materials made from fibers from PET bottles, while old Volvo seats have been used for the sound insulation under the hood. And the floor carpets come from offcuts from clothing manufacturers and PET bottles.
Yes, all these were once useless bits and pieces that were meant for the scrap heap and junkyard. Yet Volvo has made good use of them and has helped reduce our planet’s numerous waste materials. It’s all part of the Swedish automaker’s goal of helping build a cleaner and greener (and safer) planet.
