Automotive Plastics Survey: Funding for innovative solutions to automotive plastics waste

Plastic waste from the automotive sector is substantial, accounting for 309 kilotons (the equivalent of 1.6 million end-of-life vehicles) of plastic waste annually. There is currently very limited recycling of automotive plastics at their end of life. Most are crushed, shredded and then landfilled. Different types of plastics and materials are mixed together, which reduces their value and makes them very difficult to recycle.”

From Plastics Innovation – Online Consultation: Automotive Plastics

Technological innovation is important to help Canada achieve its goal of zero plastic waste. Since 2018, the Government of Canada has launched eight Plastics Innovation Challenges.

These challenges support Canada’s efforts to meet key domestic and international plastics targets by providing small and medium-sized enterprise winners with up to $150,000 to develop a proof of concept and subsequently up to $1 million to develop a prototype if selected. Past challenge themes include marine plastic litter, construction waste and recycling of glass fiber-reinforced plastic.

Winners will:

• Receive funding to develop the solution with no repayment or repayable contribution;
• Retain the rights to the intellectual property developed; and
• Maintain all equity in the company.

Environment and Climate Change Canada and Foresight Cleantech Accelerator are conducting online consultations with stakeholders in the plastics industry in four theme areas, including Automotive Plastics.

Based on the feedback received from the surveys, Automotive Plastics could be one of at least two new Plastics Innovation Challenges the government plans to launch in 2020.

To take the five to ten minute survey, click here.

To learn more about the Plastics Innovation Challenges and the Automotive Plastics survey, click here.