Plastics Challenge - Diverting End of Life Vehicle Plastics from Landfills

Deadline: 2020-04-16
Award: $150,000 CAD
Open to: Canadian entities*

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) are seeking environmentally acceptable and cost-effective technologies that will enable the diversion of End of Life Vehicles (ELVs) plastics from landfills and their conversion into valuable materials and/or molecules.

After drainage of operating fluids and dismantling of reusable parts, ELVs are compressed and shredded. Most of the valuable ferrous and non-ferrous metals are recovered using established separation technologies. The non-metallic components, known as ASR, consist of a mix of plastics, rubbers, textiles and other fibrous materials, glass and metal fragments. As it is a complex feedstock in terms of composition and as it contains several contaminants and toxic substances, there is currently no cost-effective method to valorize ASR. Therefore, most of the ASR is currently sent to landfills, where it is used as a cover material.