2007 Plastics Recycling and Sustainability Award in Enabling Technologies

The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, the United States Council for Automotive Research’s Vehicle Recycling Partnership and the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council have been awarded the Plastics Recycling and Sustainability Award in Enabling Technologies by the Society of Plastics Engineers for their work in the optimum recycling of plastics and other materials from end-of-life vehicles.

The three entities are research partners whose work is being conducted under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) among Argonne, the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC-PD) and USCAR's Vehicle Recycling Partnership (VRP), whose members are DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation. The award recognizes technological innovations that demonstrate significant impact and environmental benefits.

The team has been working together on mechanical recycling technologies as well as processes for chemical conversion of end-of-life vehicle materials to fuels and chemicals. The team also is working to anticipate and meet the recycling needs for components and parts in future and emerging vehicles such as hybrids and fuel cell vehicles.

March 9, 2007