Circular economy in the automotive industry : the case of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
Schneider, Jonas (2020)
Pro gradu -tutkielma
2020
School of Business and Management, Kauppatieteet
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020100176346
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2020100176346
Tiivistelmä
This master thesis's target is to answer the question of circularity for polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in the automotive industry. It discovers what prevents the extensive spread usage of recyclates in the automotive industry and what should change to allow for a higher market share. The whole thesis was written in cooperation with Röhm, the inventor and producer of PLEXIGLAS ® from Germany.
For this thesis, several interviews have been conducted, and an online survey was done. The interviews were conducted with employees from Röhm, as well as with suppliers and manufacturers out of the car industry in Europe. Furthermore, an online survey on LinkedIn was done, which was trying to get more insight into the recycling topic.
It can be concluded that recycling for PMMA is technically viable and it can be adapted to the circular economy. Recent developments in sorting technology allow for good purity results of post-consumer material. Despite this, the recycling of PMMA is almost entirely focused on post-industrial waste. The reasons for this are higher prices than virgin materials and difficulties in meeting the car industry requirements.
Recycling of PMMA could become attractive if virgin material prices were rising; this could be due to raw material scarcity and political changes (CO2 tax, plastic tax, recycling rate). But if not, there is only the ideological motive for recyclates usage in the car industry, which is despite rising pressures from the society, unlikely.
For this thesis, several interviews have been conducted, and an online survey was done. The interviews were conducted with employees from Röhm, as well as with suppliers and manufacturers out of the car industry in Europe. Furthermore, an online survey on LinkedIn was done, which was trying to get more insight into the recycling topic.
It can be concluded that recycling for PMMA is technically viable and it can be adapted to the circular economy. Recent developments in sorting technology allow for good purity results of post-consumer material. Despite this, the recycling of PMMA is almost entirely focused on post-industrial waste. The reasons for this are higher prices than virgin materials and difficulties in meeting the car industry requirements.
Recycling of PMMA could become attractive if virgin material prices were rising; this could be due to raw material scarcity and political changes (CO2 tax, plastic tax, recycling rate). But if not, there is only the ideological motive for recyclates usage in the car industry, which is despite rising pressures from the society, unlikely.