STUTTGART, Germany—Mercedes-Benz is using plastic made from used tires and agricultural waste to make components for new vehicles.
Mercedes is working with several suppliers on the project. Pyrum Innovations AG generates pyrolysis oil from used tires. BASF then combines the oil with biomethane from agricultural waste to create a plastic with the same characteristics as virgin plastic produced from crude oil. This enables the recycled material to be used as a “drop-in” replacement in current production vehicles. The recycled material meets Mercedes’ requirements for paintability and crash safety.