Autoneum’s sustainable Re-Liner technology has been selected as one of the finalists for the 2023 Automotive News PACE Awards. Entering its 29th year, the prestigious award honours superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.

Using recovered resin from discarded car bumpers, Autoneum’s Re-Liner transforms a previously unusable waste product into lightweight and durable wheelhouse outer liners. In addition to their high recycled content, the eco-friendly components require significantly less energy to produce than conventional alternatives. The innovation presents another important step towards a more sustainable circular economy.

“The nomination of our Re-Liner-based wheelhouse outer liners is a testimony to Autoneum’s continuous efforts in developing both resource- and energy-efficient products and manufacturing processes,” said Dan Moler, Vice President of Product Development and Engineering at Autoneum North America. “With Re-Liner, we took advantage of our company’s existing capacity on carpet extrusion lines to produce an innovative, lightweight, yet stiff material.”

Re-Liner is based on a core of polyolefins recovered from post-consumer bumpers and has a textile top layer made of fibres from recycled materials.

“Autoneum has recognized the untapped potential of recovered resin from automotive bumper covers as a resource and is giving this former waste product a second life,” explained Dan Moler. “The core resin of Re-Liner is 100% automotive post-consumer recycled material, not just a filler or additive to a virgin material. Lightweight, durable, and sustainable wheelhouse outer liners based on this technology are expected to reduce waste generated by bumper covers by nearly one million kilograms in 2023.”

The winners of the 2023 PACE Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony next year.

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