Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has published a new environmental strategy which will see the company reduce CO2 emissions - with recycling at the heart of their plans.
Volvo aim to save 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 every year with their plans, an initiative which will save the company £85 million annually from 2025 onwards. With many motoring companies plans aiming for carbon zero production, Volvo’s plans see them processing, repairing and reusing emission-intensive materials which they use when manufacturing vehicles.
“Volvo Cars has one of the most ambitious climate plans in the car industry, and if we are to reach our goals, we need to embrace the circular economy,” said Anders Kärrberg, responsible for global sustainability at Volvo Cars.
“This requires us to rethink everything we do and how we do it. We put a strong focus on integrating sustainability into the way we think and work as a company, and we are making it as important as safety has always been to us.”
“Disposing of waste will become more expensive in the future,” Kärrberg continued. “That’s why we want to avoid waste directly.”
As a measure of how seriously the Swedish brand is taking recycling, the company will place different bins in their factory for the man different metals, rather than having one area for scrap metal - a move which is expected to make recycling a smoother process.
The company admit that they will still have some elements which are difficult to recycle, such as painted surfaces and other elements which require a high polish, but they are also looking to give a second life to their EV car batteries - after the 15 years in the vehicle.