07:06 31-12-2025

Porsche, BASF and BEST use gasification to turn shredder waste into polyurethane for steering wheels

Porsche has completed a joint pilot project to turn complex automotive waste into feedstock for new components. The effort brought together German chemical company BASF and technology partner BEST, focusing on automotive shredder residue left after metals are removed from end-of-life vehicles.

This residue is a mix of plastics, foam, textiles, glass, dust, and paint particles. It is usually disposed of by incineration to generate heat. Porsche and its partners are advancing an alternative: gasification. The material is heated to over 700 degrees with limited oxygen, producing synthesis gas.

BASF uses this syngas to make polyurethane, which is then turned into foam. Within the project, Porsche is already applying it to produce steering wheels. According to the company, the resulting feedstock is comparable in quality to primary materials.

The initiative aims to scale the technology and reduce the share of waste sent to incineration. To substantiate the portion of recycled content, a mass-balance method with independent certification is applied. Solutions like this are becoming a meaningful part of brand strategies: models that have traditionally sat among the best cars are now increasingly judged by environmental metrics as well. The approach reads as a pragmatic way to keep a stubborn waste stream in circulation while aligning material quality with expectations.