Covestro has joined the KOLLEKT research consortium, with BMW, Forvia Hella and other partners, to develop fully recyclable vehicle lighting parts. The three-year project, coordinated by Forvia Hella and funded by Germany’s federal research ministry, runs to May 2029 with funding of €4.37m (US$5.03m).

KOLLEKT addresses growing pressure on the car industry from resource scarcity and rules such as the EU End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, which have so far limited plastics recycling at scale. The project applies a ‘Design for Circularity’ approach built around four strategies: repair, re-use, remanufacture and recycle.

As a materials partner, Covestro contributes expertise across the value chain, from product design to evaluating recycling pathways for polycarbonate. Its Makrolon, Bayblend and Apec materials are widely used in vehicle lighting, and returning them to high-quality use is central to the project.

Monique Buch, chief commercial officer at Covestro, highlighted the project’s collaborative approach. In a statement, she said: ‘KOLLEKT is a prime example of how we create value together with our customers and partners, going beyond material supply to co-designing solutions from the very beginning.’

The project also develops an AI-powered robotic dismantling cell and digital twins to enable automated disassembly at industrial scale. KOLLEKT builds on the completed NALYSES project and feeds into Covestro’s recycled CQ lines, supporting EU recycling targets due by 2032.

Source: Covestro