March 17, 2025 – TÜV Rheinland Greater China, a leading international third-party testing, inspection, and certification body, has awarded Shanghai Aocell Material Technology Co., Ltd. (Aocell) with a Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) material content verification certificate for automotive applications. The certification ceremony, attended by Dr. Wenjun Xia, Founder and President of Aocell, Hou Jingyue, Executive Director of GIZ East Asia’s Circular Economy Team, Zhang Qi, Global Sustainability Director at Covestro, and Chen Qing, General Manager of Sustainability Services for Customized Enterprises at TÜV Rheinland Greater China, highlighted collaborative efforts to advance the use of recycled materials in the automotive supply chain.
During the event, participants discussed technical validation and cross-border traceability mechanisms for automotive recycled materials, aiming to streamline their integration into production processes. TÜV Rheinland conducted a comprehensive audit of Aocell’s PCR material (model: PC 2010B-Car 18) in accordance with ISO 14021:2016, verifying raw material sourcing, production controls, and supply chain traceability. The material, derived entirely from discarded automotive headlights, met international standards for recycled content and manufacturing practices.
Notably, this project is part of the Sino-Indian High-Value Plastic Recycling Initiative for End-of-Life Vehicles and E-Waste, spearheaded by GIZ in partnership with industry leaders. Focusing on polycarbonate (PC) recovery—particularly from automotive sources in China—the initiative involves companies like GEM Co., Ltd., Aocell, Covestro (Shanghai) Investment Co., Ltd., NIO, Volkswagen Group China, and TÜV Rheinland. By providing practical case studies for recycled material reapplication, the collaboration addresses critical gaps in circular economy practices.
This marks TÜV Rheinland’s first certification partnership with Aocell for automotive PCR materials. The certificate signifies Aocell’s closed-loop management of the entire recycling chain, from headlight collection and disassembly to granulation, setting a technical benchmark for standardized reuse. Dr. Xia emphasized Aocell’s role as the primary drafter of China’s national standard for recycled PC (GB/T 40006.7-2021), underscoring its commitment to delivering customizable, low-carbon, and traceable solutions. The certification positions Aocell to supply Tier 1 automotive suppliers directly, expanding its global market reach.
Chen Qing noted that as manufacturing scales, resource efficiency has become a universal priority, with demand surging for standardized certification of automotive recycled plastics. He expressed hope that this collaborative model would extend across the automotive value chain, helping automakers meet EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC) requirements for recycled material integration and traceability.
TÜV Rheinland’s expertise in recycled materials includes ISO 14021:2016 and EN 15343-compliant assessments, verifying ABS, PP, PC, PC/ABS, and TPE content through factory audits and supply chain tracing. Its certification services have garnered recognition across ICT, home appliances, light industry, and automotive sectors, reinforcing trust in recycled material applications.