Torqeedo, a major innovator in all-electric boat motors, is developing an updated version of its iconic bright-orange propeller, which is made entirely from recycled plastic. This initiative ensures that future electric marine-drive products will eliminate carbon emissions and contribute to reducing the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans.
The process of recycling plastic is challenging and costly. When we toss plastic items into a single bin, they often need to be sorted because different types of materials cannot be recycled together. Additionally, some plastics are not recyclable at all. The amount of work and energy required to reuse materials for new products often results in the creation of new plastics, worsening the plastic waste issue.
According to a 2022 report by Greenpeace USA, only 5% of the 51 million tons of plastic waste generated by US households in 2021 was recycled. This percentage reached its peak in 2014 at 9.5%, but even these numbers may be too high, as some plastic labeled as “recycled” is actually sent to foreign countries or domestic kilns, where it is burned or dumped.
Torqeedo warns that 14 million tons of plastic waste enter the world’s waterways annually, much of which eventually flows into the ocean. It is now a common concern that if this issue continues, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.
While some efforts have focused on removing existing plastic from the water, Torqeedo aims to prevent plastic from reaching the water in the first place. The company aims to establish a large-scale system where recycled plastic can become a financially viable option for product manufacturing.
The company’s newly formed Advanced Engineering Team is dedicated to researching alternative materials that can reduce the company’s environmental impact. One of the team’s initial projects involves integrating recycled plastic into a new line of eco-friendly propellers designed for Torqeedo’s electric outboard, inboard, and pod drive products.
“The typical way to integrate new materials is to start with a small percentage – maybe with just 10 or 20% recycled content. However, we decided to aim higher. We made our prototype propellers from 100% recycled ocean plastics, and we’re thrilled to report that they surpassed all benchmarks in the first round of environmental and stress testing. After some slight adjustments, we will produce the next prototypes in Torqeedo orange. These will be very similar to the propellers that are in use today,” said Florian Deger, who leads the project within Torqeedo’s Advanced Engineering Team. “It feels good to hold one of the prototypes in my hands and know we are keeping plastic bottles and pollution out of the waters we all love to explore on our boats.”
The team has been diligently developing plastic pellets using recycled PET and polypropylene, primarily sourced from bottles. According to Torqeedo, this recycled material can reduce up to 80% of the CO2 impact. Their process creates a material that closely matches the quality of brand-new plastic.
Torqeedo is making progress with their next prototype, featuring the company’s signature bright orange color and a design similar to current propellers. The company aims to bring these recycled-plastic products to market within a year.
“While integrating ocean plastics into our products is just one step of many as Torqeedo helps to build a more sustainable marine industry, it’s also much more significant than just diverting plastic bottles,” said Fabian Bez, CEO of Torqeedo GmbH.
“We’re helping to develop a circular plastic economy and transforming used plastics from trash to treasure. Collecting used plastic for recycling only becomes economically viable when there is a market for recycled material, and we’re proud to lead the way in closing the loop. Many manufacturers hesitate to use recycled materials based on outdated perceptions of inferior material quality. Torqeedo believes that a circular economy for plastics can be established today without negatively impacting product performance and durability,” Bez continued. “If the next testing rounds are as successful as expected, the first Torqeedo products containing ocean-bound plastics will hit the market within the next year.”
