In an era where “green” is no longer just a marketing option but a condition for industrial survival, BMW Group is making a strategic move on the sustainability chessboard. The Bavarian giant has officially announced a collaboration with PreZero, the recycling division of the Schwarz Group (owner of retailers Lidl and Kaufland), to create a closed material loop in the European automotive industry.
If until now we were used to seeing PreZero trucks collecting packaging from behind supermarkets, from now on, their expertise will be essential in the "dissection" and revalorization of vehicles that have completed their life cycle.
While much of the public attention is focused on batteries and charging stations, BMW is looking at a much deeper issue: resource dependency. Shortly after rivals Volkswagen opened their own center of excellence for the circular economy in Zwickau, BMW is accelerating its “Secondary First” strategy.
The goal is ambitious: BMW wants to increase the percentage of recycled materials in its new models to 50%. The partnership with PreZero is not limited to electric cars, but targets all types of propulsion, recognizing that a steel body or a plastic interior has the same strategic value, regardless of what is under the hood.
The innovation of this partnership starts right from the drawing board. The “Design for Recycling” concept means that future BMW models will be built in such a way that, at the end of their life, they can be dismantled quickly and efficiently.
Collaboration follows a clear hierarchy of value:
Reuse: Viable components are recovered and used as spare parts.
High-quality recycling: Materials are processed using innovative methods to become "clean" raw materials again, avoiding quality degradation (the downcycling phenomenon).
Closed loop: The plastic, aluminum, and steel from an old model become the structure of a new model.
Beyond environmental protection, this alliance is a shield against the volatility of global markets. In a world marked by fragile supply chains and geopolitical tensions that can block access to critical metals, the end-of-life vehicle becomes an “urban mine.”
By partnering with PreZero, BMW not only reduces its carbon footprint, but also ensures a constant and controlled source of materials, reducing exposure to fluctuations in the prices of primary raw materials.
The collaboration between the BMW Group and PreZero marks a maturation of the European automotive industry. We are no longer just talking about cars that do not pollute while they are moving, but about cars that do not pollute even after they have stopped completely. By joining forces between a luxury manufacturer and a leader in waste management, the circular economy moves from the stage of a theoretical concept to that of a real economic engine, transforming today's waste into tomorrow's premium cars.