Development of High-Purity Recycling Technology for Automotive Bumper Plastics
Refineverse Group has successfully developed a technology to recycle polypropylene from end-of-life car bumpers with a purity of 99.9% by removing paint components with high precision. By applying expertise from airbag recycling, the company aims for early commercialization and the expansion of 'Car to Car' recycling, leveraging its existing nationwide collection network to transform bumpers into high-quality 'urban oil fields.'
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- 📰 Published: May 18, 2026 at 20:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 18, 2026 at 12:01
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Refineverse Group Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Akira Ochi) has been promoting resource circulation initiatives to expand Car to Car recycling, including 'REAMIDE®,' a recycled nylon material from airbags, and 'REOCA,' a recycled asphalt modifier from automotive interior materials. The company has now successfully developed a technology to recycle only the resin parts, including polypropylene, used in automotive bumpers with high purity.
Going forward, the company will expand its collaboration with partner companies to establish mass production technology and aim for early commercialization.
## Background of Development
Approximately 2.52 million end-of-life vehicles are generated annually in Japan. Among the plastics used in automobiles, bumpers are considered a major component, accounting for a large percentage of weight. Consequently, the amount of plastic discarded from bumpers, including those replaced, reaches a scale of about 20,000 to 30,000 tons per year.
On the other hand, recycling automotive bumpers has faced multiple challenges, such as the difficulty of removing paint components with a certain level of precision, the resulting quality gap between recycled materials and virgin materials, and the difficulty of establishing a collection system. As a result, large-scale recycling has not progressed sufficiently until now.
In response to these challenges, Refineverse applied the material peeling and purification technology cultivated through the development of the airbag recycling material 'REAMIDE' to accurately remove impurities from bumper materials and refine high-quality resin for use as material recycling stock.
Furthermore, by utilizing the nationwide collection network built through airbag collection, it will be possible to establish a bumper collection system on a wide scale. By expanding its technical foundation and circular supply chain, the company aims to unearth unutilized resources as 'urban oil fields' and further expand Car to Car recycling.
## Development of Purification Technology to Remove 99.9% of Bumper Paint Impurities
The purification technology developed this time removes paint components such as paint and coatings from the plastic (polypropylene) used in bumpers. This technology was established by applying previous developments in 'REAMIDE' from airbags and technology for refining polyethylene from milk cartons.
Validation has confirmed that the resin portion of the bumper, with paint films removed, can be recycled with a high purity of 99.9%. The features of this technology include the ability to refine only 'polypropylene,' the base material, from complex bumper materials containing paint components, and the ability to process under conditions with low environmental impact.
Conventional recycled materials from bumpers faced challenges in terms of strength, durability, and appearance quality due to separation precision issues. This high-purity purification technology is expected to be utilized not only for Car to Car recycling but also for various other polypropylene products.
## Future Outlook
Following this technological development, the company will proceed with further technical studies and validation for mass production, aiming to deploy it as a recycled material for polypropylene in the future.
Plans also include establishing a bumper collection system and conducting demonstrative initiatives based on the circular supply chain developed through the airbag collection network.
By unearthing urban oil fields and advancing resource circulation, Refineverse aims to achieve future Car to Car recycling and contribute to building a sustainable society.
## About Refineverse Group
'Connecting wealth to the future with perspectives and technologies that no one else has.'
For over 20 years, Refineverse has practiced the circular economy, recycling and developing various materials. By collecting large quantities of discarded tile carpets from offices and facilities and processing them into the recycled material 'Refine Powder' at its own factories, the company has realized horizontal recycling, which was considered difficult in the industry. It also operates a business to recycle discarded fishing nets and end-of-life airbags into high-quality recycled nylon pellets called 'REAMIDE.'
Going forward, the company will expand its collaboration with partner companies to establish mass production technology and aim for early commercialization.
## Background of Development
Approximately 2.52 million end-of-life vehicles are generated annually in Japan. Among the plastics used in automobiles, bumpers are considered a major component, accounting for a large percentage of weight. Consequently, the amount of plastic discarded from bumpers, including those replaced, reaches a scale of about 20,000 to 30,000 tons per year.
On the other hand, recycling automotive bumpers has faced multiple challenges, such as the difficulty of removing paint components with a certain level of precision, the resulting quality gap between recycled materials and virgin materials, and the difficulty of establishing a collection system. As a result, large-scale recycling has not progressed sufficiently until now.
In response to these challenges, Refineverse applied the material peeling and purification technology cultivated through the development of the airbag recycling material 'REAMIDE' to accurately remove impurities from bumper materials and refine high-quality resin for use as material recycling stock.
Furthermore, by utilizing the nationwide collection network built through airbag collection, it will be possible to establish a bumper collection system on a wide scale. By expanding its technical foundation and circular supply chain, the company aims to unearth unutilized resources as 'urban oil fields' and further expand Car to Car recycling.
## Development of Purification Technology to Remove 99.9% of Bumper Paint Impurities
The purification technology developed this time removes paint components such as paint and coatings from the plastic (polypropylene) used in bumpers. This technology was established by applying previous developments in 'REAMIDE' from airbags and technology for refining polyethylene from milk cartons.
Validation has confirmed that the resin portion of the bumper, with paint films removed, can be recycled with a high purity of 99.9%. The features of this technology include the ability to refine only 'polypropylene,' the base material, from complex bumper materials containing paint components, and the ability to process under conditions with low environmental impact.
Conventional recycled materials from bumpers faced challenges in terms of strength, durability, and appearance quality due to separation precision issues. This high-purity purification technology is expected to be utilized not only for Car to Car recycling but also for various other polypropylene products.
## Future Outlook
Following this technological development, the company will proceed with further technical studies and validation for mass production, aiming to deploy it as a recycled material for polypropylene in the future.
Plans also include establishing a bumper collection system and conducting demonstrative initiatives based on the circular supply chain developed through the airbag collection network.
By unearthing urban oil fields and advancing resource circulation, Refineverse aims to achieve future Car to Car recycling and contribute to building a sustainable society.
## About Refineverse Group
'Connecting wealth to the future with perspectives and technologies that no one else has.'
For over 20 years, Refineverse has practiced the circular economy, recycling and developing various materials. By collecting large quantities of discarded tile carpets from offices and facilities and processing them into the recycled material 'Refine Powder' at its own factories, the company has realized horizontal recycling, which was considered difficult in the industry. It also operates a business to recycle discarded fishing nets and end-of-life airbags into high-quality recycled nylon pellets called 'REAMIDE.'
FAQ
Why was bumper recycling difficult until now?
It was difficult to completely remove paint components from the surface, leading to inconsistent quality, and there was a lack of efficient nationwide collection networks.
What makes Refineverse's technology different?
It achieves over 99.9% purity by removing impurities, enabling 'Car to Car' recycling where the material is high enough quality to be reused for new car parts.
What are the future plans for this technology?
The company aims for early commercialization by expanding partnerships for mass production and leveraging existing networks for stable supply.