German compounder and plastics wholesaler WIS Kunststoffe (Breitungen; www.wiskunststoffe.de) has expanded its product portfolio to include recyclates from post-consumer waste (PCR) that have been approved for use in the automotive sector. In response to an enquiry from Plasteurope.com the company said the waste comes from the food industry, among others.

Recyclates in the field of engineering thermoplastics are obtained from carpet remnants, airbags, or fishing nets, said Daniel Römhild, member of the management board at WIS Kunststoffe.

WIS’s current output capacity is at 10,000 t/y, split equally between standard and engineering thermoplastics. The largest engineering thermoplastics fraction is polyamides, at 2,000 t/y, followed by PC/ABS at around 1,500 t/y and PBT at 1,000 t/y. The company sees areas of application for PCR recyclates – which can be modified with glass fibre, talc, or other additives – primarily in the automotive industry. The material fulfils both the standards required by the industry for interiors and for body parts, the company said, adding that the aim is to create a closed loop for automotive recycling.

Related: WIS Kunststoffe offers polyolefin recyclate for cosmetics packaging

WIS expects the proportion of PCR-based recyclates in its total re-compound production to increase continuously in the future. Currently, the ratio of recyclates from PCR and PIR (post-industrial) waste is 60% to 40%, said Römhild. Over the next three years, he expects the ratio to rise to 80% PCR.