ORLANDO, FLA. \u2014 Using more recycled or bio-based plastics in cars isn\u2019t as easy as just wanting to be greener, according to one person paid to think about such things at one of the world\u2019s largest automobile makers.<\/p>\n
Many, many factors go into determining what material will be used to make each part, said Eric Connell a senior engineer at Toyota Technical Center USA Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing these recycled and bio-based materials is only going to make sense where it is the best option,\u201d said Connell during a presentation at the Global Plastics Environmental Conference. \u201cAnd that could be cost. It could be mass. It could be performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Connell also is a board member for the Plastics Environmental Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers that organized the two-day conference in Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t use recycled where aluminum will be better. We can\u2019t use composite where steel will be better,\u201d he said, citing examples.<\/p>\n
But despite the challenges that the auto industry poses in terms of the use of recycled or bio-based plastic, the engineer said there\u2019s a lot of momentum pushing their higher adoption as time goes on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message is that you shouldn\u2019t give up. Don\u2019t give up. Things aren\u2019t as bad as they seem,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not all bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good. There\u2019s a lot of customer and consumer awareness,\u201d he said, as recycling continues to receive more and more national attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuality levels are at an all-time high. The recession did a really interesting thing for the recycling industry. It made quality improvements because people said, \u2018OK, we don\u2019t have time for poor quality. We have to have really good quality.\u2019 That drove the price up a little bit. But we are seeing quality levels for these materials at an all-time high.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cToyota,\u201d Connell said, \u201cis continually increasing the use of recycled and bio-based materials in our vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 2014 CT 200h hybrid from Toyota\u2019s Lexus brand uses 30 percent plant-based PET materials for floor mats and trim. The company notes it is designed to be 90 percent recyclable and easy to be dismantled.<\/p>\n
Challenges to using recycled and bio-based plastics in automotive applications include quality, consistency, durability, mass, color, odor and the logistics of providing the materials for locations around the world.<\/p>\n
Supplying recycled-content parts to the automotive industry can be challenging because of the need for consistency with the resin. That can be especially true for post-consumer plastics that can have odor issues based on their previous use.<\/p>\n
Recycled plastic that smells like plastic is good, Connell said. Recycled plastic that smells like soap, or peanut butter or cat urine, not so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat I need is a consistent source and a consistent quality. It doesn\u2019t mean necessarily I need to know whose house the yogurt cup came from. But It does mean I need to know month-to-month, lot-to-lot, that I\u2019m going to have a consistent supply,” he said.<\/p>\n
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