Mercedes wants its vehicles to be made from 40% recycled materials within a decade

Mercedes-Benz has outlined some of the new processes and materials it is introducing into its vehicle lineup as part of its goal of making new passenger cars CO2-neutral by 2039
.
As part of this goal, its fleet will consist of an average of 40 percent recycled materials
.

"Our vision is to transform our entire value chain into a loop as closed as possible
," said Mercedes' Chief Technology Officer Markus Schäfer.
"Our series production vehicles already contain a lot of recycled material
.
In the next ten years During the year, we will increase the proportion of secondary raw materials in our passenger vehicle fleet to an average of 40%
.
"

This will include familiar things like materials made from fishing nets and PET bottles, but also the use of chemical recycling
.
The process allows used tires and other hard-to-recycle plastics to be broken down into their chemical components so they can be produced into new materials
.

Mercedes is also exploring the use of UBQ, a material converted from mixed household waste, and a partially carbon dioxide-based foam
.
Up to 20 percent (by weight) of the automotive-grade polyurethane foam used in rear seat cushions, known as polyols, is chemically bound carbon dioxide that would otherwise enter the atmosphere
.

The automaker is also looking to use novel renewable materials, such as carpets made from bamboo fibers and silk-like materials that are completely free of animal products
.
It is also working to reduce carbon dioxide consumption in the production of steel for automobiles
.

In cooperation with Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH, Mercedes is using steel with a 60 percent reduction in CO2 consumption for the first time in the current A-Class, the current E-Class, the new C-Class and the EQE
.
Meanwhile, the structural castings of the Mercedes-AMG SL are made from a die-cast alloy made from up to 100 percent recycled scrap aluminium
.
The automaker says this can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 90 percent
.

Likewise, Mercedes is working on leather alternatives made from cactus fiber powder and fungal mycelium, which could help customers avoid leather in their vehicles
.
However, if customers do need leather, the automaker will start exclusively offering sustainably sourced leather
.
To achieve this, Mercedes will look at everything from livestock rearing to tanning
.
It will only source leather from suppliers who adhere to animal welfare rules, and the supply chain must be free of any form of illegal deforestation
.
The tanning process must also be free of chromium
.

"Sustainability is the foundation of all research and development activities at Mercedes-Benz
," says Markus Schäfer.
"Our goal is to become a technology leader in environmental engineering by enabling us to do more with less
.
For this, we The pace of innovation is accelerating and new, sustainable technologies are being introduced into series production as quickly as possible
.
”