Torqeedo, supplier of all-electric outboard motors for boats, is working on a new version of its iconic bright-orange propeller, made from 100% recycled plastic.
Plastic is difficult and expensive to recycle. Many of the plastic items we throw in the bin have to be sorted because different types of materials cannot be recycled together. In fact, some plastics are not recyclable at all. And because of the effort and energy required to recycle the material, new plastic is often made. This, of course, adds to the plastic problem.
According to Torqeedo, 14 million tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into waterways every year. Much of this eventually ends up in the ocean. If this continues unabated, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
Whilst some companies focus on removing plastic that is already in the water, Torqeedo hopes to prevent plastic from ending up there in the first place. The company’s Advanced Engineering Team is investigating alternative materials that minimise the environmental footprint. One of the first projects involves the use of recycled plastic in a new generation of eco-friendly propellers for Torqeedo’s fully electric propulsion systems.
The prototype of these new propellers are made from 100% recycled ocean plastic. More specifically, the team has been working with plastic pellets made from recycled PET and polypropylene, much of which comes from bottles. Torqeedo says the recycled material reduces as much as 80% of the CO2 impact and uses a process that produces a material that is "very close" to brand new plastic in terms of quality. Torqeedo is now moving ahead with the next prototype.
Last month, Yamaha Motor's acquisition of Torqeedo was completed as part of the latter's plans to reduce its own carbon footprint. Yamaha has also been working to incorporate recycled plastics into its products, including motorbikes and scooters.
