Mahindra highlights recycled materials and end-of-life vehicle data at WCEF 2026

At WCEF 2026, Mahindra & Mahindra outlined its use of end-of-life vehicle data and recycled PET fabric in EVs, while pointing to persistent gaps in the supply and quality of recycled materials. India also cited expanded EPR registrations and waste-processing capacity.

— Source publishedTue, 15 Sept, 2026, 20:41 IST·First seen Tue, 15 Sept, 2026, 20:58 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

India promoted circular-economy practices spanning product design, consumption and material recovery at WCEF 2026. Mahindra & Mahindra highlighted using

Key facts

  • 3,600 stakeholders
  • 62 countries
  • four-day forum
  • 135 exhibitors
  • 83,000 producers registered under EPR frameworks
  • 4,802 recyclers registered
  • 482.24 lakh tonnes of waste processed

Why this matters

Prioritize partnerships or investments in ELV dismantling, recycling technology, and material-quality traceability to secure strategic access to circular automotive inputs.

What to watch

  • India EPR enforcement changes, including verified collection and recycled-content requirements for automotive materials.
  • New automotive-grade recycling, compounding, dismantling and battery-recovery capacity announcements near OEM manufacturing clusters.
  • Price spreads between virgin and certified recycled PET, polymers, aluminum and steel.
  • OEM disclosures of recycled-content percentages by vehicle model and supplier qualification standards.
  • Evidence that end-of-life vehicle data is being shared with recyclers, insurers, dismantlers or parts marketplaces.
  • Quality failures, supply interruptions or greenwashing challenges involving recycled-content automotive components.
  • Secure multiyear offtake agreements with recyclers and compounders for automotive-grade recycled PET, plastics, aluminum and steel.
  • Use end-of-life vehicle data to map recoverable components by model, region and material type, then prioritize high-volume recovery streams.
  • Co-develop material specifications with tier suppliers to reduce variability tolerance barriers for recycled inputs.
  • Invest in traceability systems linking EPR collection, dismantling, processing and component incorporation.
  • Design future EV interiors, trims and battery-adjacent components for disassembly, mono-material recovery and recycled-content substitution.
  • Maintain dual sourcing between domestic recyclers and qualified imported recycled-material suppliers until Indian feedstock quality improves.