As the European Union prepares legislation regarding end-of-life vehicles, policymakers need to consider the most efficient and greenest ways to dispose of automotive materials. A new study by the research university ETH Zurich, in collaboration with BASF, has investigated an alternative route for mixed plastic waste streams from end-of-life vehicles—to recycle it alongside biomass.
The study found that recycling one kilogram of automotive shredder residues with three kilograms of biomass can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3 kg CO2 equivalent, compared to incinerating the residues for energy recovery.
The ETH study follows a gasification pilot project conducted by BASF and BEST Austria earlier in 2025. For the first time, the project at BEST’s pilot plant combined the gasification of biomass with plastic waste from automotive shredder residue.
Instead of incinerating plastics and biomass to generate electricity and steam, co-gasification produces steam and synthesis gas, a valuable feedstock for chemicals. Providing this novel circular raw material to the chemical industry could reduce consumption of fossil resources, lowering emissions and keeping carbon in the loop.
The volume potential for non-fossil feedstock from automotive plastic waste is significant. Research estimates that over one million tons of automotive plastic waste is being incinerated or landfilled in Europe every year.
“Closing the carbon loop by plastics recycling is not only beneficial for the climate but also crucial for conserving resources, an essential step toward a plastics industry that operates within planetary boundaries,” says Professor André Bardow of ETH Zurich.
Source: BASF
