Feasibility Study on Enhancing the Circularity of Truck Cabins (CIRCAB)

Important results from the project

The CIRCAB project provided valuable insights into plastic flows, industrial practices, and the technological, business, and regulatory obstacles to circularity in automotive plastics. It also identified key research and development needs and emphasized the substantial changes required to advance plastic circularity. By clarifying current barriers, mapping feasible pathways, and engaging industry actors, CIRCAB established a solid foundation for future work.

Expected long term effects

The project laid the groundwork for long-term change in how plastics are managed in the automotive sector and proposes large-scale recycling pilots. By improving sorting and logistics and validating recycled materials, it builds the technical and economic basis for the circular use of plastics. Once we demonstrate that high-performance plastic recycling is feasible at scale, it has the potential to significantly improve how plastics are handled in the automotive sector and similar industries.

Approach and implementation

The project followed the planned setup and activities, which proved appropriate for mapping plastic flows, challenges, and legal drivers. It progressed as intended and largely kept to the schedule. No major external disruptions occurred, though limited data access required small adjustments. Collaboration across partners worked well, and workshops, interviews, and site visits were carried out as planned.