Toyoda Gosei unveils breakthrough in horizontal recycling of automotive plastics with 50% ELV content

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. has announced a major technological advance that could reshape the future of sustainability in the automotive sector. The Japan-based automotive components manufacturer has developed a new horizontal recycling technology capable of converting end-of-life vehicle (ELV) plastics into high-performance recycled material, now suitable for reuse in original automotive parts. With this innovation, Toyoda Gosei becomes the first company globally to incorporate recycled plastic containing 50% ELV content into interior vehicle components requiring impact resistance, such as glove boxes.

This initiative marks a critical step toward achieving the circular economy objectives laid out in Toyoda Gosei’s medium- to long-term 2030 Business Plan. The company plans to gradually expand the deployment of this material across a broader array of products, beginning with models such as the Toyota Camry sold in Europe and other global markets from 2024 onward.

Why Is Toyoda Gosei’s New Plastic Recycling Technology Groundbreaking?

Traditionally, the automotive industry has faced significant limitations in using recycled plastics, particularly in functional components demanding high mechanical strength. Most plastic waste from vehicles, particularly polypropylene (PP), could not match the performance of virgin material due to contamination and degradation. As a result, waste plastics were either subjected to thermal recycling—where they are incinerated to recover energy—or downcycled into less critical applications with minimal performance requirements.

Toyoda Gosei’s innovation reverses this legacy trend. By developing proprietary material enhancement methods and sourcing higher-grade ELV plastic feedstock through a collaboration with Isono Co., Ltd., the company has succeeded in creating a recycled plastic that meets the stringent standards for automotive parts. This achievement makes horizontal recycling a viable commercial strategy, wherein recycled materials are repurposed for the same product category they originated from—a leap beyond downcycling.

This represents a pioneering advancement in high-value recycling, with verified use in structurally sensitive automotive components. Internal testing has confirmed the recycled plastic’s mechanical properties, including impact resistance, durability, and thermal stability, are equivalent to those of virgin plastic, despite containing 50% recycled ELV content.

How Does This Recycling Breakthrough Help Reduce Automotive CO2 Emissions?

The carbon emissions implications of this development are notable. According to internal lifecycle analysis using the IDEA system developed by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the use of this recycled plastic formulation can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 40% during the production of parts. This metric varies depending on the product’s dimensions and the specific application but represents a substantial improvement over conventional materials.

In the context of tightening global environmental policies, this reduction supports automakers’ efforts to align with emission targets and supply chain sustainability metrics. Specifically, the European Union’s ELV Directive, which is slated for an update mandating a higher recycled content quota in all new vehicles from 2031, creates immediate demand for high-performance recycled materials. Toyoda Gosei’s solution is uniquely positioned to serve that future compliance need.

The integration of recycled content directly into visible and tactile parts of the vehicle—such as glove compartments—also helps increase consumer awareness about sustainable manufacturing, potentially influencing preferences among environmentally conscious buyers.

What Role Does Collaboration Play in Scaling Recycled Plastic Usage?

The success of Toyoda Gosei’s innovation stems not only from in-house research but also from key partnerships across the recycling and materials supply chain. In particular, the partnership with Isono Co., Ltd., a Japanese company specialising in waste plastic sorting and refinement, has enabled access to more consistent and clean ELV plastic feedstock.

This upstream collaboration has been instrumental in solving one of the biggest challenges in plastics recycling: material heterogeneity. ELV plastics often contain residual contaminants from usage, mixed polymer streams, and traces of paints or coatings. Without high-quality preprocessing, these contaminants degrade the physical integrity of recycled polymers. Isono Co., Ltd.’s sorting technologies have made it possible to source cleaner polypropylene suitable for modification through Toyoda Gosei’s in-house polymer enhancement methods.

Through this synergistic approach, Toyoda Gosei has achieved a high degree of circularity while retaining the cost competitiveness required for automotive mass production. The collaboration model also sets a precedent for future industry partnerships between OEMs, materials scientists, and recycling firms to drive collective environmental gains.

How Will the Recycled Plastic Be Deployed Across Future Vehicle Models?

The initial use case of this recycled plastic is in the Toyota Camry manufactured in Japan and distributed in Europe and other global markets since 2024. This strategic model was selected due to its global sales volume and design compatibility with the upgraded material specifications.

Looking forward, Toyoda Gosei plans to integrate this recycled polypropylene across additional parts and vehicle platforms. These may include interior panels, console boxes, and potentially even exterior components if mechanical and weatherability requirements are satisfied through further material improvements.

The company also envisions applying similar principles to rubber recycling, another major focus under its 2030 Business Plan. With increasing demand from global automakers to decarbonize entire vehicle lifecycles, Toyoda Gosei’s recycled materials strategy is expected to become a cornerstone of its supplier value proposition.

How Does This Align With Global Automotive Sustainability Trends?

Toyoda Gosei’s advancement aligns with a broader industry-wide shift toward sustainable manufacturing and circular economy principles. With mounting pressure from governments, investors, and consumers, automakers and suppliers alike are seeking scalable solutions to reduce dependency on virgin resources.

In 2023, the European Commission signaled its intent to overhaul the ELV Directive, aiming to establish mandatory recycled content levels and end-of-life recovery targets for new cars. These proposals are expected to be adopted in stages through 2030 and beyond, creating both regulatory pressure and market opportunity. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment and METI have also launched parallel initiatives supporting plastic circularity.

For component manufacturers like Toyoda Gosei, these policy shifts serve as both challenge and catalyst. By becoming the first known company to successfully employ 50% ELV plastic in high-impact applications, it has leapfrogged many competitors in the green innovation race.

What Are the Next Steps in Toyoda Gosei’s Plastic Recycling Roadmap?

Toyoda Gosei has publicly committed to improving the quality and versatility of recycled plastic further. Future research will explore increasing ELV content beyond 50%, extending applications into more demanding structural components, and integrating advanced recycling techniques like chemical depolymerization.

The company’s vision includes scaling up production volumes while maintaining material traceability and quality assurance. By doing so, it aims to support not only Toyota Motor Corporation but also other automakers seeking compliant, low-carbon materials for next-generation vehicles.

Furthermore, as part of its broader ESG goals, Toyoda Gosei is expected to enhance transparency around environmental impacts, including publishing updated lifecycle assessments, recycling rates, and progress toward its decarbonization milestones.

Reinforcing Sustainability in Auto Parts Manufacturing

With this announcement, Toyoda Gosei has underscored its leadership in sustainable materials innovation for the automotive sector. The deployment of recycled polypropylene sourced from end-of-life vehicles into high-performance, impact-resistant parts is not only a technical triumph but also a timely response to evolving regulatory and market expectations.

By transforming automotive plastic waste into a resource for next-generation vehicles, the company has taken a major step toward decoupling mobility growth from environmental degradation. As the automotive supply chain becomes more circular, innovations like this will be instrumental in reducing global plastic waste, curbing emissions, and building the green mobility ecosystem of the future.