As a result of the collaboration between Audi Hungary and New Energy, tyre waste generated at the site of the company in Gyor will be chemically recycled.
The process used for this is pyrolysis, in which tyre waste is chemically converted into oil. The oil produced is used by petrochemical companies to produce new plastics, while the resulting recovered carbon black is utilised in tyre production. The gases produced during pyrolysis are used to generate the high temperatures needed for the process.
“It is of paramount importance for our company to use environmentally-friendly technologies not only in manufacturing, but also throughout the life cycle of our products, including the recovery of our waste at our waste management partners’ sites. We have introduced a number of sustainability measures over our three decades of operation. Within the brand group and Audi Hungaria, our Mission:Zero environmental program includes these measures. The application of resource-efficient solutions is a key pillar of our efforts, including, for instance, our Aluminium Closed Loop project, launched three years ago, which has led to the closed-loop recycling of part of the aluminium waste generated during production. Our experts and partners are constantly looking for further ways to reduce our resource consumption and thus reduce our ecological footprint,” said Alfons Dintner, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi Hungaria.
Audi Hungaria says it is currently exploring further possibilities for chemical recycling of plastic waste streams from production.
Viktor Váradi, CEO of New Energy added: “We have spent more than one and a half decades developing chemical recycling to industrial-scale in order to create value for our partners in the transition to a circular economy. Our objective was to create a win-win situation for our customers, society and the environment in an economically viable manner. Our collaboration with Audi Hungaria underlines that we are on the right track to achieving our sustainability goals and can contribute to the sustainability strategy of the automotive industry. Working with our partners, we can achieve measurable results in replacing fossil-based feedstocks and meeting climate targets.”
Audi Hungaria says it has been carbon neutral in its balance sheet since 2020. Since 2015, the company has been using geothermal energy, saving around 21,000 tonnes/year of carbon-dioxide. In addition, a further part of its energy supply is provided by Europe’s largest rooftop solar farm, located on its premises, covering a total of 160,000 sq m. The company recycles almost 100% of its waste generated.