Volkswagen: Vehicle Dismantling Launched in Zwickau – Plastics Recycling to Be Strengthened

Volkswagen has commissioned its first industrial vehicle dismantling line at its Zwickau plant. The automotive group aims to promote the reuse of vehicle components and the recovery of valuable raw materials from end-of-life vehicles. Plastics recycling plays a key role in this initiative, with an increasing proportion of recovered plastics expected to be reintroduced into new vehicle production in the future.

The dismantling line, inaugurated on 28 October 2026, comprises eight stations and is initially intended for pre-series vehicles, with plans to process end-of-life vehicles at a later stage. From 2027, around 4,100 vehicles are to be dismantled annually in a two-shift operation. To this end, 100 employees have already undergone retraining. By 2030, Volkswagen plans to gradually expand capacity to up to 15,000 vehicles per year.

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Recycled Plastics for New Vehicle Production
A key objective of the project is to separate and recover materials by type as effectively as possible. In addition to reusing functional vehicle components, the aim is to return plastics and other raw materials to industrial material cycles.

According to Volkswagen, the plastics recovered from a single end-of-life vehicle could eventually be sufficient for use in three new vehicles. In this context, the group also refers to European recycled content quotas for plastics and other raw materials scheduled to take effect from 2032. Scalable industrial dismantling processes are essential to making such material cycles economically viable.

Alongside raw material recovery, Volkswagen is expanding its business in used genuine parts. According to the company, body components such as doors and bumpers, as well as engines and transmission parts, are particularly sought after. Used parts from Zwickau have already been marketed since July 2026.

Investments of Up to €90 Million Planned
Volkswagen intends to invest up to €90 million in developing circular economy activities at the Zwickau site over the coming years. The German state of Saxony is supporting the overall project with funding of up to €10.7 million.

Zwickau will serve as a group-wide competence centre for the circular economy. Dismantling and recycling processes will be further developed, standardised and made available for use at other sites. In the long term, Volkswagen plans to establish a European partner network to expand the industrial-scale recovery of raw materials and reuse of vehicle components.

More information: www.volkswagen.de

Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany

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