Circular composites in automotive

The automotive industry has made significant progress in recycling metals and conventional plastics, but composite materials continue to present unique challenges. Before circular solutions can be scaled, the industry must first understand where composites are found, how they can be recovered, and what is required to recycle them economically.

This has been the focus of the European Circular Composites Alliance (ECCA)’s Road Vehicles & Public Transportation Working Group during the first half of 2026. The progress achieved, and next actions, were presented during the ECCA  Mid-Year Review meeting in June.

Understanding end-of-life vehicles processes
The group has taken a highly practical approach, working directly with automotive recyclers and dismantling organisations to better understand today’s end-of-life vehicle processes. Site visits and discussions with organisations including Comet (Belgium), ARN (Netherlands) and Indra (France) have confirmed that composite materials currently tend to enter mixed plastics waste streams, making recovery and sorting difficult.

One important conclusion emerging from these discussions is that dismantling composite components before vehicles are shredded could significantly improve the quality of recovered materials. However, this introduces new technical and economic questions that must be addressed before such approaches can be implemented at scale.

To help answer these questions, the Working Group will initiate a composites dismantling case study in collaboration with ARN. The study is examining where composite components are located within vehicles, the information needed to identify and recover them efficiently, and whether dismantling can provide a commercially viable pathway towards higher-value recycling.

Alongside its own work, the group also reviewed findings from the Global Impact Coalition’s automotive plastics recycling programme. While focused primarily on thermoplastics, the study reinforced many of the same conclusions emerging within ECCA: successful circularity depends not only on recycling technologies, but also on feedstock quality, traceability, design, logistics and collaboration across the value chain.

Throughout the discussions, one message became increasingly clear. Composites recycling is no longer a technical challenge – it is a systems challenge. Manufacturers, dismantlers, recyclers, material suppliers and technology providers all have a role to play in creating the conditions needed for economically viable circular business models.

Building partnerships across the value chain
Looking ahead, the Working Group will continue gathering data on composite applications within vehicles, refine the dismantling case study, and strengthen engagement with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and recycling partners. Particular attention will be given to improving material identification and traceability, helping ensure that valuable composite materials can be recovered more efficiently and retained within Europe’s circular economy.

By grounding its work in real operational experience and building partnerships across the automotive value chain, the Road Vehicles & Public Transportation Working Group is helping establish the practical foundations needed to make composites recycling commercially viable at scale.