Adhesives and Sealants: Driving Automotive Sustainability
As the industry seeks to apply circularity of vehicles in practice, adhesives and sealants are at the forefront. They enable material bonding for easy disassembly, and support the reuse, repair and recycling of automotive components. With the EU’s ambitious Green Deal goals, adhesives are gaining importance as essential enablers of a sustainable automotive ecosystem. From making vehicles lighter and more sustainable to supporting recycling processes, adhesives and sealants contribute directly to a more circular and safe industry.
Driving sustainability in automotive production and end-of-life processes
1. Reducing vehicle weight and emissions
Adhesives are uniquely suited to join different types of materials together. This allows manufacturers to use a range of varied materials while meeting design and sustainability goals without compromising on strength or safety. One of the most significant contributions adhesives bring to automotive sustainability is enabling the use of materials that facilitate lighter vehicle structures. A lighter vehicle requires less fuel. Fuel efficiency leads to reduced CO₂ emissions over vehicle lifespan. This weight-saving benefit is vital for electric vehicles, where efficiency is directly tied to battery range.
2. Recycling and recovery of materials at end of life
Adhesives play an essential role in supporting recycling. Sometimes bonded parts are recycled together or simply cut apart for recycling. Modern adhesive technology has advanced to further support the dismantling and recycling of materials at the end of a vehicle’s life. For example, adhesive innovations allow for the disassembly of bonded parts through heat or chemical activation. Such disassembly enables efficient recovery of valuable components and materials. The flexibility that adhesives offer can play an important role in recycling processes. Adhesives help manufacturers bond different materials while aiming to reduce potential challenges for recyclers.
3. Facilitating repairs and extending vehicle life
In addition to supporting recycling, adhesives contribute to the repair of vehicles. Bonded assemblies can be repaired or replaced more efficiently. This makes extension of vehicle life easier and assures confidence in the repair. Damaged or outdated parts can be replaced without dismantling an entire system. In this way, waste and material use are reduced. With adhesives facilitating these repairs, manufacturers can create longer-lasting vehicles that align with circular economy goals.
A need for thoughtful End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation (ELVR)
Adhesives are rightly positioned as facilitators, not obstacles, in circular automotive design. For adhesives to continue to contribute to the circularity of vehicles, regulation needs to be technology neutral and ambitious. Technology-neutral regulation allows the automotive and the adhesive and sealant industries to continue to invest in innovations that meet Europe’s sustainability goals.
Consult FEICA’s Position on Adhesives in End-of-Life Vehicle Regulation here.