Easier recycling

Criticized for being much tougher to recover and reuse than aluminum or steel, the SMCAA counters that it's not a difficult material to recycle. Tom Harth, chairman of SMCAA's technical committee, says more than 20 automotive parts contain recycled SMC and another 10 or more are scheduled in upcoming vehicles. "SMC is an easily recycled plastic, which is why SMC molders have been successful in recycling it in large quantities," Mr. Harth says. He adds that there's no need to remove paint or adhesives on SMC prior to recycling, and the resin used in SMC can be made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic commonly used for soda bottles.