WHAT IS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY?

If you think about the classic life cycle of a product it’s very linear. We take resources from the earth to make it, we use it, and then we dispose of it. Not only is that damaging, it’s clearly not sustainable. The circular economy completely rethinks the manufacturing process – by reusing and recycling existing materials we can keep them in the loop, reducing waste and limiting the drain on natural resources.

ISN’T MAKING ELECTRIC CARS ENOUGH?

Producing cars that don’t create emissions while driving is only part of the story. In fact, the production of electric cars can create more carbon emissions than the production of petrol cars if you don’t take countermeasures. We firmly believe that the future of our planet demands circularity.

HOW IS BMW APPLYING A CIRCULAR APPROACH?

Our vision for the Circular Economy is based around four pillars – re:think, re:use, re:duce and re:cycle. That means approaching everything we create with circularity in mind, extending the value of our products for as long as possible, using fewer resources in our manufacturing and bringing products that have reached the end of their lives back into the production loop.

RE:
THINK

We’re re-evaluating every aspect of our production processes, taking multiple small steps towards a more sustainable future. Like working with our first- and second-tier suppliers to increase the use of recycled materials. Or considering how to use energy in a more circular way, relying less on new resources.

RE:
USE

The goal of this is to extend the life cycle of our cars and products through remanufacturing and redesign. Easily detachable connections make it much easier to replace individual materials and components, creating the opportunity to reinvent a car again and again.

RE:
CYCLE

Our focus is on materials that can be used again at the end of their product life cycle. In the future, our aim is to make our cars even more recyclable, incorporating fewer different material groups made of mono-materials which can be easily separated.

RE:
DUCE

This is the art of doing more, with less, wherever and however we can. That means using mono-materials (components composed of a single type of material, which also makes them easier to recycle) where possible, and maximising the use of materials that are already in the loop.

CAN A CAR EVER BE CIRCULAR?

The BMW i Vision Circular is a concept car based entirely on the principles of the circular economy – from design and development to manufacture and beyond. We’ve scrapped any unnecessary elements to do more with less. We’ve replaced paint with an anodised finish, the tyres are made from recycled rubber, and the steering wheel rim is 3D printed from wood powder. All upholstery fabrics are recycled. We’ve even replaced our BMW badge with an engraving.

CIRCULARITY AND CO2.

​Reducing CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of a vehicle is a priority in our quest for climate neutrality. That’s because it’s not just what your car consumes and emits while you’re driving that counts. The before and after are equally important.

The principles of the circular economy provide a vision for a future in which cars are made entirely from secondary materials and designed from the outset with disassembly and optimal recycling in mind. This is significantly less damaging and CO2-intensive than extracting and producing primary material.

BMW x COLDPLAY

We’re also working on projects outside of the automotive industry, like our partnership with Coldplay. The band’s 2022 global concerts will be powered by the world’s first mobile, rechargeable show battery made from 40 recycled BMW i3 batteries. The batteries will be recharged in different ways, including a kinetic floor that converts the crowd’s movements into electricity – a great way to use energy that would otherwise be wasted.