[mousefarmer]

I've read that automakers use recycled plastic in cars. Does BMW? If so, where is the plastic sourced from, and does it affect quality?

[kyriian]

Can't say specifically for BMW, but majority of plastic parts you see today will have SOME recycled plastic content.

I can't imagine anyone doing mass production today spending the coin on virgin grade anymore unless its application specific.

[The Libertine]

Originally Posted by kyriian

Can't say specifically for BMW, but majority of plastic parts you see today will have SOME recycled plastic content.

I can't imagine anyone doing mass production today spending the coin on virgin grade anymore unless its application specific.

Yeah... the proliferation of recycled plastics is pretty much unavoidable....

[David70]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

I've read that automakers use recycled plastic in cars. Does BMW? If so, where is the plastic sourced from, and does it affect quality?

Yes they use recycled plastics, as a manufacturer with plants all over the world with thousands of total suppliers I doubt even BMW knows the source of all of the plastic. They require suppliers to meet design and manufacturing criteria to continue to buy parts from them. Everything BMW and their suppliers to do affects quality, the amount of recycled plastic is one input but if it, like everything else, is checked and controlled it is a good thing overall to use it. Same with the recycled metal in the car, it also has to be checked and controlled. With much of the plastic in the car the finish of the material doesn't matter much. Look at your plastic fender liners or the plastic panels under the car and you will see the finish is far from perfect as it isn't critical for the part to function as designed.

From your question I think you are trying to oversimplify it.

[mousefarmer]

Well I had an eccentric shaft sensor fail recently. Its a $200 plastic, German made part and the oil gets inside the sensor and messes it up. I've also had the upper plastic neck of radiator fail and basically fall apart before 100,000 miles.

The plastic was not able to handle the heat or age well.

[M5Rick]

Recycled plastic used in high stressed engine/gearbox parts subject to high heat and oil/fluids are a passport to fail soon. Recycled and new plastic mixed together will always be brittle and every manufacturer uses the process.

[Efthreeoh]

Most people do not understand plastic.

[Piper1]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Most people do not understand plastic.

George Carlin did

[Efthreeoh]

Most people don't understand "engineered plastics" either.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by Piper1

George Carlin did

[mousefarmer]

I use only organic non GMO plastic in my BMW, lol. However, I do think the radiator plastic used in the n51 is biodegradable because it disintegrates in hands after about ten years in the car.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by mousefarmer

I've read that automakers use recycled plastic in cars. Does BMW? If so, where is the plastic sourced from, and does it affect quality?

The EU has addressed this in part via lifecycle regulations. IIRC there was a program in Germany which pre-dated the EU. IMO it's a big reason why Euro cars always did poorly with regards to reliability.

BMW used to have a program in Germany where they recycled as much what was feasible. For example they would convert seat foam into wheel well liners. BMW also invested heavily in environmental friendly interior materials which contained some recycled content. They were heavily advertised with the i3.

Edit: YouTube is full of BMW recycling videos.

[E92William]

I was under the impression that there were some EU regulations requiring car manufacturers to use X amount of recycled plastic. Of course this could just be gibberish that's being thrown around but if they can give you a ticket for leaving your car idling because you're "polluting" while half a dozen oil tankers do more than all cars in the world, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of law regarding which plastic they have to use.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by E92William

I was under the impression that there were some EU regulations requiring car manufacturers to use X amount of recycled plastic. Of course this could just be gibberish that's being thrown around but if they can give you a ticket for leaving your car idling because you're "polluting" while half a dozen oil tankers do more than all cars in the world, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some sort of law regarding which plastic they have to use.

It's real.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/End_...cles_Directive


https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-cont...X%3A32000L0053

[whyzee125]

BMW plastic is some of the worst in the industry so I would say it probably is recycled. It's supposedly due to some sort of German government regulations but from what I've seen Mercedes-Benz does not have the same degree of issues with their plastics that BMW does so I'm not really sure what the answer is.