Audi turns waste into new parts with additive manufacturing

Audi, the renowned German carmaker, has launched an innovative internal upcycling initiative that underscores its commitment to sustainability. As part of this effort, the company is utilizing discarded plastic packaging materials to create 3D-printed parts holders. In the automotive industry, manufacturers rarely produce all components internally, relying instead on external suppliers. Many of these components are fragile and expensive, requiring protective packaging for safe transportation to production facilities. After assessing the substantial amount of plastic waste from such packaging, Audi identified an opportunity to give the material a renewed purpose. An accompanying image highlights the transformation, displaying both the original packaging tray and the newly developed 3D-printed holder.

Through its «Mission: Zero» green program, Audi aims to achieve 0 carbon emissions at all its sites by 2025. At Audi’s Neckarsulm plant they took packaging waste, crushed it into granules and dried it. The dry granules were transformed into filament, supplied by the Dutch start-up 3devo. The filament was used to print a variety of assembly tools and aids, such as pushers (to help install clips) or jigs to align the Audi logo to vehicles on the production line.

Audi turns waste into new parts with additive manufacturing

This 3D printed aid is used to install clips in hard-to-reach places

“Our goal was to create a production cycle that would allow us to recycle some of the mixed plastic that accumulates during the production of, for example, an Audi A7,” explains project manager Volker Eitrich.

«In this pilot project we focus not only on speed, ergonomics and safety, but also on robustness. The first important step was the technical proof that the process is feasible, in other words that we can produce printed filaments from existing plastic.»

The German automaker has also implemented a switch to 100% green energy and the use of a closed water cycle at its Neckarsulm plant, which will no doubt help the company reach its net-zero emissions goal. Other in-house recycling efforts include turning plastic into garbage bags (produced on site) and also a closed-loop aluminum stamping process.

“The 3D filament printing pilot project is another example of how we are always developing new solutions to get closer, step by step, to our ultimate goal of realizing a fully sustainable automotive production process,” said Achim Diehlmann, Head of Protection Neckarsulm.

Audi currently uses more than 160 different 3D tools and assembly means on site, and many have already been used in the production of its Audi e-tron GT electric car.

Conclusion

Audi’s initiative to transform discarded plastic packaging into 3D-printed parts holders is a powerful demonstration of circular economy principles applied within the high-volume automotive manufacturing sector. This internal upcycling process addresses a critical industry-wide problem: the substantial amount of plastic waste generated by protective packaging used to transport fragile and expensive components from external suppliers.

By identifying and reusing this waste stream, Audi is not merely recycling, but actively engaging in upcycling, giving the material a renewed, higher-value purpose as functional production tools. The use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) is key to the success of this initiative. It allows Audi to custom-design and produce durable parts holders precisely tailored to their needs directly on-site and on-demand. This bypasses the need for new material sourcing and traditional manufacturing methods (like injection molding), which would require costly tooling. Ultimately, this effort underscores Audi’s commitment to sustainability by reducing waste sent to landfills and cutting the environmental footprint associated with packaging, while simultaneously improving efficiency in its internal production and logistics processes.