NISSAN has achieved a cost-effective technological breakthrough that enables it to recycle most of the plastic parts on its vehicles for use on future models. The environmental coup enables Nissan to recycle bumpers, instrument panels, ventilation ducts and even floor carpet from scrap vehicles for new production cars. Nissan UK says the first recycled parts are expected to find their way on to cars for the British market by autumn of this year.

Up until now it has been difficult to assure the quality of recycled plastics because of problems in removing foreign materials, but Nissan has succeeded in developing separating, sorting and recycling techniques to produce the same high quality parts from recovered plastics, which means they can be used in full production.

The key recycling methods mean Nissan can now recycle plastic from bumpers using a chemical-free process which strips off paint from crushed bumper fragments, remove metals from instrument panels and ventilation ducts so that the plastics can be recovered and recycle carpets by separating fibres from the plastics.