Grupo Antolin develops car headliner from recycled waste tires, plastics

Burgos, Spain – Automotive interiors manufacturer Grupo Antolin has manufactured a passenger car headliner substrate produced from urban waste such as end-of-life tiers and post-consumer plastics.

Manufactured in partnership with BASF, the process involved the chemical recycling of ‘unrecyclable’ post-consumer waste, end-of-life tires and plastic waste into circular materials such as polyurethane foam, said Antolin 22 Nov.

Antolin said it had ‘validated and introduced’ the materials for use in a fully electric European “premium car” that has recently been launched to the market.

Approximately 50% of the headliner weight comes from recycled materials, including 100% of the textile, 70% of the core foam, and 70% of the plastic sunroof reinforcement frame, according to Antolin. 

“This project is a step towards a more sustainable car interior trim and a huge leap for the wet PU technology,” said Enrique Fernandez, advanced engineering director, overhead systems business unit.

According to Fernandez, the technology has demonstrated to be competitive in terms of cost and quality and fulfils demanding specifications from clients.

“Our next project featuring recycled core PU foam will be unveiled in 2022 and it’ll be manufactured using renewable electricity,” said Javier Blanco, Grupo Antolin’s sustainability director.