The first thing for a recycled material to enter the automotive industry is not to enter the production line, but to pass an automotive level qualification exam. This "materials college entrance examination" is not easy: the strength must be reliable, the odor cannot exceed the standard, it must be stable at high temperatures, and it cannot be brittle at low temperatures, VOC、 Formaldehyde and durability performance still need to be tested item by item. If any subject fails to meet the standards, one cannot obtain the qualification to board the vehicle. Cars will not quietly lower their admission scores just because they are more environmentally friendly. Recycling allows resources to regain opportunities; Whether it can truly enter the automotive industry depends on performance, health, and data to prove again. Environmental protection is a bonus, but it is not a free pass. On June 26th, at the 3rd China Europe Corporate ESG Best Case Conference held in Mainz, Germany, Chery Automobile was awarded the "Best Environmental Protection Case" for its systematic practice of "Returning Waste Plastics to the Industrial System - Chery Automobile's Recycled Materials and Healthy Cockpits". A total of 140 companies from China and Europe participated in this conference, and Chery was the only automotive company to win the award. The trophy records the result. Behind the trophy is a long-term practice of how recycled plastic resources can be technically reconstructed to regain automotive grade application value.
一种再生材料想进入汽车，第一件事不是进生产线，而是先过一场汽车级资格考试。这场“材料高考”并不轻松：强度要可靠，气味不能超标，高温下要稳定，低温下不能脆化，VOC、甲醛和耐久性能还要逐项过关。任何一科不达标，都拿不到上车资格。汽车不会因为它更环保，就悄悄降低录取分数线。回收让资源重新获得机会；能不能真正进入汽车，还要靠性能、健康和数据重新证明。环保是加分项，但不是免试券。6月26日，在德国美因茨举行的第三届中欧企业ESG最佳案例大会上，奇瑞汽车凭借《让废塑重回工业体系——奇瑞汽车再生材料与健康座舱的系统性实践》，荣获“环境保护最佳案例”。本届大会共有来自中欧的140家企业参评，奇瑞是唯一获奖的汽车企业。奖杯记录的是结果。奖杯背后，是回收塑料资源如何经过技术重构，重新获得汽车级应用价值的一段长期实践。
On June 26th, Chery Automobile was awarded the "Best Environmental Protection Case" in Mainz, Germany
6月26日，奇瑞汽车在德国美因茨获颁“环境保护最佳案例”
To get on the car with recycled materials, one must first prove themselves again
01 再生材料想上车，先得重新证明自己
The plastic cycle that many people understand is cleaning, melting, and reshaping. But for automotive materials, this can only be considered as re qualifying for registration. Every time plastic is used and processed, its molecular structure and material properties may change, its strength and toughness may weaken, and impurities, colors, odors, and batch fluctuations may also occur. Especially for composite materials containing fiberglass, the internal structure is more complex. It used to be capable of handling automotive parts, but it does not mean that after cyclic processing, it can directly return to its original application scenario. Therefore, the Chery materials team is not simply melting and changing the shape of the material, but redesigning it around automotive grade performance: by combining chemical depolymerization with physical modification, the molecular structure, reinforcement system, and low molecular weight substances are systematically regulated to make the material once again meet the requirements of automotive components for strength, toughness, durability, and processing stability. The source of materials can be recycled, but the bottom line of the project cannot be discounted.
很多人理解的塑料循环，是清洗、熔化、重新成型。但对汽车材料来说，这只能算重新拿到报名资格。塑料每经历一次使用和加工，分子结构和材料性能都可能发生变化，强度与韧性可能衰减，杂质、颜色、气味和批次波动也会随之出现。尤其是含玻纤复合材料，内部结构更复杂。它过去能够胜任汽车零部件，并不代表经过循环处理后，就能直接回到原有应用场景。因此，奇瑞材料团队做的不是简单地把材料熔化、换一个形状，而是围绕汽车级性能重新设计：通过化学解聚与物理改性相结合，对分子结构、增强体系和低分子物质进行系统调控，使材料再次满足汽车零部件对强度、韧性、耐久和加工稳定性的要求。材料来源可以循环，工程底线不能打折。
02 "Green Label" does not provide exemption qualification
02 “绿色标签”不提供免试资格
In the materials laboratory, recycled materials do not receive special treatment just because they carry a "green" label. The stretching that needs to be stretched, the aging that needs to be aged, and the high temperature exposure that needs to be exposed to sunlight still need to be exposed; Smell VOC、 Formaldehyde and durability are both essential. Unstable at high temperatures, not feasible; Easy to become brittle at low temperatures, not feasible; The mechanical performance is qualified, but the odor or volatile matter performance is not up to standard after entering the cabin. The attitude of a materials engineer is very clear: emotions can be hot, but data must be calm. Chery has established a molecular level performance reconstruction technology system, which achieves a substantial improvement in the conversion rate of core materials through a composite pathway of chemical depolymerization and physical modification: the conversion rate of repeatedly used PP materials has increased from 40% to 60%, and the conversion rate of glass fiber composite materials has increased from 15% to 40%. These numbers are not about 'using a little more recycled materials', but about enabling a batch of resources that were previously difficult to high-value utilize to regain stable and verifiable automotive grade application capabilities.
在材料实验室里，再生材料不会因为带着“绿色”标签，就获得特殊照顾。该拉伸的拉伸，该老化的老化，该高温暴晒的照样暴晒；气味、VOC、甲醛和耐久，一项都不能少。高温下不稳定，不行；低温下容易脆化，不行；机械性能合格，但进入座舱后气味或挥发物表现不过关，同样不行。材料工程师的态度很明确：情怀可以很热，数据必须冷静。奇瑞建立了分子级性能重构技术体系，通过化学解聚与物理改性复合路径，实现核心材料转化率的实质性提升：多次重复使用PP材料的转化率由40%提升至60%，含玻纤复合材料由15%提升至40%。这些数字不是“再生材料多用了一点”，而是让一批过去难以高值利用的资源，重新获得稳定、可验证的汽车级应用能力。
Where does the material come from when answering 'recycling'; 'Engineering' answers whether it can be trusted in the long run. Chen Chengzuo, Deputy General Manager of the German subsidiary, shares ESG theme
“回收”回答材料从哪里来；“工程化”回答它能不能被长期信任。德国子公司副总经理陈成作ESG主题分享
03 Performance passing is only the first round, health is the hard threshold of the cabin
03 性能过关只是第一轮，健康才是座舱硬门槛
The mechanical performance verification of recycled materials is equivalent to completing the first round of exams. But if you want to enter the cabin application, you also have to face stricter requirements for the in car environment. Chery has established a mature evaluation benchmark in the field of healthy cabins. At present, some mass-produced models have obtained 8 "Healthy Cockpit" certifications, the first batch of "Zero Formaldehyde" cars, China Ecological Automobile White Gold Medal, and C-GCAP Health Evaluation Five Star recognition. Based on the low release formula system and deep purification technology, the relevant plan has been validated in mass-produced vehicle models, and the formaldehyde concentration in the car can be as low as 0.005 mg/m ³, which is less than one tenth of the national mandatory standard limit. These achievements do not give green light to recycled materials, but rather constitute a higher threshold that they must cross. Chery is promoting the application and verification of relevant recycled material technologies in some vehicle models and components, VOC、 Odor, formaldehyde and other indicators need to meet the requirements of a healthy cabin. The materials used in cockpit applications, regardless of their source, must meet the same set of health and reliability requirements. Performance qualification is only a passing line, health standards are the real ticket to getting on the bus.
再生材料通过机械性能验证，相当于完成第一轮考试。但想进入座舱应用，还要面对更严格的车内环境要求。奇瑞已经在健康座舱领域形成一套成熟的评价基准。目前，部分量产车型已获得8项“健康座舱”认证、首批“零甲醛”汽车、中国生态汽车白金牌及C-GCAP健康评测五星等认可。依托低释放配方体系与深度净化技术，相关方案已在量产车型完成验证，车内甲醛浓度可低至0.005 mg/m³，不足国家强制标准限值的十分之一。这些成果并不是给再生材料开绿灯，恰恰构成了它必须跨过的更高门槛。奇瑞正推动相关再生材料技术在部分车型和零部件上开展应用与验证，VOC、气味、甲醛等指标均需对标健康座舱要求。进入座舱应用的材料，无论来源如何，都要接受同一套健康与可靠性要求。性能合格只是及格线，健康达标才是真正的上车券。
Behind a piece of material is a complete industrial system
04 一块材料背后，是一整套工业体系
Making an excellent sample in the laboratory is worth celebrating, but we cannot immediately open champagne. To enter more car models, it also requires stable sources of raw materials, clear quality standards, reliable traceability mechanisms, and long-term collaboration between the recycling end, material end, component end, and vehicle end. Chery has taken the lead in formulating the national standard "General Rules for the Use of Recycled Materials in Road Vehicles" around these key links, and has established a traceability system for recycled materials with upstream and downstream partners to promote the full traceability of materials from retired vehicles to new vehicle applications, obtaining the industry's first closed-loop recycling evaluation pilot traceability certification for recycled plastics. On the industrial side, Chery is deeply involved in the centralized recycling and treatment of scrap steel, scrap aluminum, and recycled plastic resources, establishing an annual processing capacity of 100000 tons of scrap steel, 100000 tons of scrap aluminum, and 10000 tons of plastic resources; The actual reuse or recycling rate of products and materials reaches 97%, and the comprehensive utilization rate of mineral oil recycling projects reaches 96%. Chery has also launched the "Renewable Green Materials Initiative", collaborating with industry associations, recycling companies, petrochemical enterprises, and end brands to promote the full chain connection from recycling to application and the integration of international certification systems, pushing the industry from "fighting on its own" to "system collaboration". Samples can rely on a technological breakthrough, while mass production must be supported by a complete system.
实验室里做出一个优秀样件，值得高兴，但还不能立刻开香槟。要进入更多车型，它还需要稳定的原料来源、清晰的质量标准、可信的溯源机制，以及回收端、材料端、零部件端和整车端的长期协同。围绕这些关键环节，奇瑞主导编制国家级标准《道路车辆再生材料使用通则》，并与上下游合作伙伴建立再生材料溯源体系，推动材料从退役车辆到新车应用的全过程可追溯，获得行业首个再生塑料闭环回收评价试点溯源认证。在产业端，奇瑞深耕废钢、废铝及回收塑料资源的集中回收与处理，建立每年十万吨级废钢、十万吨级废铝、万吨级塑料资源的处理能力；产品及材料实际再利用或循环利用率达97%，矿物油循环再生项目综合利用率达96%。奇瑞还发起“再生绿色材料倡议书”，联合行业协会、回收企业、石化企业及终端品牌，共同推动从回收到应用的全链条打通及国际认证体系对接，推动行业从“各自为战”走向“系统协同”。样件可以靠一次技术突破，量产必须靠一整套体系托住。
The 05 trophy is a highlight, not the finish line
05 奖杯是高光，不是终点
This award of "Best Environmental Protection Case" reflects the professional value of Chery's recycled materials practice in the ESG exchange between China and Europe. For the materials team, the trophy records a stage and also brings higher requirements for the next stage. What really matters is whether technology can continue to enter the product, whether it can be used with confidence by users, and whether it can be replicated by industry partners. ESG should not be limited to reports, indicators, and slogans on the R&D side, but should enter every real scenario of material formulation, experimental verification, procurement standards, supply chain collaboration, and product mass production. This is precisely replacing file driven with scenario driven, making sustainable development an engineering capability that can be executed, verified, and create product value. Chery Automobile awarded the "Best Environmental Protection Case" medal. The romance of a materials engineer is not about presenting a correct idea beautifully, but about verifying it over and over again until it leaves the laboratory and enters the product, worthy of countless lights. The true cycle is not about forcing materials to be reused, but about allowing them to re-enter the modern industrial system in a higher value, verifiable, and trustworthy way.
此次获得“环境保护最佳案例”，体现了奇瑞再生材料实践在中欧ESG交流中的专业价值。对材料团队而言，奖杯记录的是一个阶段，也带来了下一阶段更高的要求。真正重要的，仍是技术能否持续进入产品，能否被用户放心使用，能否被产业伙伴复制。ESG在研发端，也不应停留在报告、指标和口号里，而要进入材料配方、试验验证、采购标准、供应链协同和产品量产的每一个真实场景。这正是用场景驱动取代文件驱动，让可持续发展成为可以执行、可以验证、可以创造产品价值的工程能力。奇瑞汽车获颁“环境保护最佳案例”奖牌。材料工程师的浪漫，不是把一个正确的想法讲得多动听，而是把它一遍遍验证，直到走出实验室、进入产品，配得上万家灯火。真正的循环，不是让材料勉强再用一次，而是让它以更高价值、可验证、可信任的方式，再次进入现代工业体系。
Regeneration is not a downgrade, and cycling is not a compromise. A piece of responsibility material should not only be responsible for resources, but also for the health, safety, and experience of users, and more importantly, for the long-term future of the industry. This is precisely the significance of "responsibility materials" and also the direction that "Cornerstone Laboratory" continues to explore.
再生不是降级，循环也不是妥协。一块责任材料，既要对资源负责，也要对用户的健康、安全和体验负责，更要对产业的长期未来负责。这正是“责任材料”的意义，也是《基石实验室》持续探索的方向。
