Fiat Group keeps a steady focus on the environmental impact of its products throughout all phases of their life cycle.
To this end, the Group promotes the use of eco-compatible materials and substances (low environmental impact and recycled materials, biopolymers).
Based on this commitment, the Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA) vehicles type-approved in 2011 in Europe were 95.0% recoverable and 85.0% recyclable by weight, while Chrysler Group vehicles were 96.3% recoverable and 88.0% recyclable by weight.
To analyze levels of vehicle recoverability and recyclability, FGA utilizes the International Material Data System (IMDS), an online database that enables input of detailed information on the materials and substances present in purchased components. By use of a special software program called 3R Project developed by FGA, data is processed and then used in simulations to evaluate the impact that a change in materials or design would have on the vehicle recoverability and recyclability rate.
In 2011, recycled raw materials accounted for approximately 41% of the weight of type-approved FGA vehicles, maintaining the level from 2010, while for Chrysler Group they accounted for approximately 32%.
During the year, Chrysler Group continued to explore ways to increase natural and recycled materials in vehicle components. In fact, the company has more than 55 approved materials in its materials index that contain recycled content, both Post-Industrial Recycled (PIR) and Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) and combinations thereof. These materials include various polypropylenes, polyamides and polyesters evaluated in applications such as air cleaner housings, battery trays, wheel liners, engine covers and intake manifolds. In addition to plastics, there are soft trim materials approved for fabric containing recycled fiber content, carpet using recycled fiber, recycled polyurethane for foam seats, and dashboard seal polyurethane foam using recycled rubber from tires.
At Chrysler Group, an example of the employment of environmentally-friendly materials is the industry-first, green vehicle seating material installed in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. With the implementation of this new material, Chrysler Group avoided the use of food-based soy polyols (a popular option for bio-polyols in foam production) and instead utilized a unique polyol obtained from scrap foam destined for landfills.
The commitment of FGA in the application of innovative biopolymers received a prestigious international recognition in this area. FGA, along with its suppliers DuPont Automotive and Hutchinson, won the 2011 Plastic Innovation Award, from the Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) for the industry-first employment of PA 10/10, a bio-resin (derived from castor oil with minimum biopolymer content of 60%) for the production of fuel lines for diesel engines.
(1) Average for Fiat Group Automobiles existing range of type-approved vehicles in 2011, based on Directive 2005/64/EC.
(2) Aside from “other metals”.
(3) Average for Chrysler Group existing range of type-approved vehicles in 2011, based on Directive 2005/64/EC.
(4) Weight of fluids includes all vehicle fluids except gasoline. 
