It takes an enormous amount of energy and virgin materials to make an automobile today. Every automaker is chasing a “circular” business model that means recycling every bit of scrap in producing new components, integrating other streams of recycled materials beyond auto plants, and striving for carbon neutrality in manufacturing by relying on hydrogen-powered forklifts, biogas, and renewable electricity, such as wind and solar. BMW’s plant in South Carolina uses methane gas piped in from a local landfill to provide more than 20% of its energy needs.
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