Sustainability in automotive design is no longer limited to energy sources or powertrains—it increasingly begins at the material level. With its “Monosandwich” composite system, Mercedes-Benz AG demonstrates how intelligent material engineering can directly contribute to CO₂ reduction across the entire lifecycle of a vehicle.
At the heart of the concept is a 100% recycled PET foam core, designed with a bone-like structure that enables weight savings of up to 40%. This reduction has a direct impact on CO₂ emissions during vehicle use—particularly relevant for electric vehicles, where lower weight translates into improved efficiency and range.
The outer layers, made from recycled PET-based bi- and mono-fibers, provide the necessary structural rigidity while maintaining a consistent material concept. This leads to one of the key innovations of the Monosandwich: a true mono-material approach.
By using only one type of plastic, the composite can be mechanically recycled without separating layers—a major advantage compared to conventional multi-material systems. This not only reduces complexity at end-of-life, but also enables a closed material loop, significantly lowering the CO₂ footprint in future production cycles.
This holistic approach—combining lightweight design, recycled input materials, and full recyclability—perfectly reflects the evaluation criteria of the MATERIALICA Award’s sustainability focus.
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The innovation was therefore awarded Winner of the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2024 in the category “CO₂ Efficiency”—a category that the award has been pioneering since 2006, long before lifecycle emissions became a central topic in industrial development.
With the CO₂ Efficiency category, the MATERIALICA Award was one of the first international competitions to recognize innovations not only for design and engineering excellence, but also for their measurable contribution to sustainability and resource conservation.
Today, this perspective has become essential:
Companies are increasingly evaluated on how effectively they reduce emissions across materials, production, use phase, and recycling.
Mercedes-Benz AG continues to drive innovation in sustainable materials—and has already submitted three applications for the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2026.
A strong signal of how seriously the company is pursuing CO₂-efficient solutions across its portfolio.
We are excited to see whether Mercedes-Benz will once again convince the jury and secure another award.
Innovations like the Monosandwich show how material-driven CO₂ reduction can become a true competitive advantage.
👉 Take your chance and present your solution to a global expert audience:
Apply now for the MATERIALICA Design + Technology Award 2026
🔗 https://www.emove360.com/awards/materialica-award/
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