Plastic Omnium - 2020 Universal Registration Document

STATEMENT OF NON-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE The ACT FOR ALL TM program PLASTIC OMNIUM UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2020 173 Currently to carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA), everyone develops their own methodology around a common ISO-related base. The methodologies should be harmonized in Europe by 2025. So that manufacturers can produce their own life cycle analyses, Plastic Omnium provides its customers with an accurate description of product materials and masses. Teams work to improve the aerodynamics and lighten products to meet its customers' new requirements. Within Intelligent Exterior Systems: a simplified LCA tool has been developed with ADEME and ENSAM ● Chambéry. The objective is to provide a tailor-made solution that can be used by innovation project managers. By choosing the plastic type, the process or the weight of steel used, they can measure the environmental impacts and incorporate these criteria into the overall decision-making process; the business line is part of the MCIPCI project (innovative materials and ● design for intelligent body panels) with the PFA (Platform for the Automotive Industry). The objective is to develop the next generation bumpers (with the smart bumper). Plastic Omnium teams are proposing to rework the bumper by incorporating more functionalities. This project, started in September 2020 and running until 2023, is carried out with AREMONT (specialist in the intelligent fixing of sensors and radars) and CETIM (Technical Center of Metallurgy Industries) to use an eco-design approach to the product “smart face” integrating many criteria: fewer materials, logistics optimization, end-of-life of the product, use of environmentally-friendly materials, increase in the recyclability and reparability, use of less impactful processes, etc. The teams will compare the LCA of the smart bumper with the results of an eco-design approach for smart face; teams conducted a new LCA on tailgates. It differs from the first one, ● performed in 2019, by the use of new materials and new manufacturing processes. The teams compared five tailgate designs with different materials: steel, aluminum, thermoset or thermoplastic polypropylene and recycled carbon fiber. Compared to a steel tailgate, the recycled carbon fiber one saves 35% in CO 2 . Plastic Omnium is committed to using recycled plastics in its products. In 2020, the Group joined an AFEP (French Association of Private Companies) initiative along with 33-member companies to promote the circular economy and innovative projects in this area. The Group is also taking action to increase the usage rate of recycled plastics in products manufactured for one of its customers, with a target of 50% by 2030. The OEMs are committed to the massive introduction of recycled materials in their products. Plastic Omnium is supporting one of these pioneering manufacturers in this approach by incorporating increasing amounts of recycled materials, first in hidden exterior components and then in other components more visible to users. Within Clean Energy Systems, Plastic Omnium has been committed since 2019 to a comprehensive lifecycle analysis process for fuel systems. An LCA parametric model has been built in collaboration with European Plastic Fuel Tanks and the Systems Manufacturers Association. It incorporates criteria related to the types of raw materials (fossil, organic, recycled), energy consumption (depending on the country or self-generation), transportation and end-of-life. The challenge is to obtain a dynamic mapping by identifying levers that can be used to reduce environmental impact (supply of bio-sourced and recycled materials, transportation distances, energy efficiency of production tools, supply of green energy, use and end-of-life/recycling). A new area for this LCA, relating to metal fuel tanks, has been introduced and shows the relevance of continuing to replace metal fuel tanks with plastic tanks. When a plastic fuel tank is manufactured, around 21 kg of CO 2 is emitted. Approximately two thirds come from the manufacture of the plastic components, and slightly less than a third from the manufacture of the fuel tank in our plants, the remaining fraction being emitted during transport. In addition, the Group is exploring new avenues, such as sourcing bio-sourced materials or the partial use of end-of-life recycled materials. The sourcing of these raw materials is complex and requires a multi-criteria analysis: availability, cost, competition as a food source (for bio-sourced products), techniques, etc. The fuel tank is indeed a safety device that must meet strict regulations and specifications.