REPAINT - Paintability of recycled plastic

The REPAINT project develops knowledge and practical solutions needed to enable post-consumer recycled plastics in painted parts. By bringing together expertise across the value chain, from recycling and material development to surface treatment, painting processes and automotive requirements, the project tackles key technical barriers to circular plastics in vehicles. The work also helps prepare the Swedish automotive industry for the upcoming EU End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, which will increase requirements for recycled plastic content in automotive applications.

 REPAINT is coordinated by RISE, with Annika Boss as project manager. Industry partners include Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Traton, Artifex Systems, Plasman Industri, Polykemi, Borealis, Covestro and Envirostripp Chemicals.

The project consortium has chosen to focus on the plastics most commonly used in automotive, plastics that often are painted. These include polypropylene‑based plastics, as well as blends of PC/ABS (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile‑butadiene‑styrene). Recycled plastics, primarily post-consumer-recycled plastics from various sources, will be tested in the project. The aim is to optimize the properties of the plastic blends with respect to surface properties and painting. However, properties such as mechanical performance, dimensional stability, processability and durability are also of importance and will be investigated in order to meet the automotive industry's requirements for materials and components.

The project collaboration with key industry partnes has great potential to contribute to the transition required in the automotive sector to sustainable and circular plastic use, and to help meet forthcoming regulatory requirements from the EU Commission.