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Chevy Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD Use Wheelhouse Liners Made From Recycled Bumpers

The General’s push for sustainability is an offensive carried out on many fronts, and one of those – as the automaker recently revealed – is the use of recycled bumpers for the wheelhouse liners of two of its toughest, most rugged pickup models, the Chevy Silverado HD and the GMC Sierra HD.

GM says it is looking to incorporate recycled materials throughout its vehicle range, with the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD used as an example with their Autoneum wheelhouse liners, resembling the image shown below.

An Autoneum liner similar to those used on Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks.

Autoneum Wheelhouse Liner

The General says the use of Autoneum wheelhouse liners on the Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD has been newly initiated for 2024. The announcement points out that the “liners utilize recovered bumpers as a resource to create the core resin for Re-Liner” and declares that GM is “proud to share that this technology has been recognized as a finalist for the 2023 Automotive News PACE Award.”

The liners are part of a drive by General Motors to boost the “circularity” of its vehicles, with 39 million pounds of recycled plastics used in various models during 2023. Wheelhouse liners were the biggest element at 15.8 million pounds, while the vehicles produced last year also incorporated 4.9 million pounds of HVAC ducts; 2.4 million pounds each of cargo trim, cowls, and underhood trim; and over a million pounds each of engine covers, door skins, window brackets, and center consoles made from recycled plastics.

Front three quarters view of the GMC Sierra HD.

For its part, Autoneum says its Re-liners incorporate “recovered resin from discarded car bumpers” using a process that “transforms a previously unusable waste product into lightweight and durable wheelhouse outer liners.” Manufacturing these components needs less energy use along with reusing pre-existing materials rather than discarding them.

The company’s product development VP Dan Moler noted that “the core resin of Re-Liner is 100 percent automotive post-consumer recycled material, not just a filler or additive to a virgin material.” The result is not only lightweight, but extremely durable and long-lasting according to Autoneum.

Cockpit view of the Chevy Silverado HD.

As a reminder, production of the 2024 Chevy Silverado HD and 2024 GMC Sierra HD takes place at the GM Flint Assembly plant in Michigan, while the Silverado HD is also produced at the GM Oshawa plant in Canada.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevy Silverado news, Chevy news, GMC Sierra news, GMC news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

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Comments

  1. Once again Beijing Mary bowing to the net zero mob. We want our virgin wheel liners!

    Reply
    1. Recycled liners started in 2014. I believe they were originally recycled battery casings.

      Reply
  2. Make rear wheel house liners standard like they were before. Along with paying extra for paint choices, GM and other truck manufacturers now charge for wheel house liners. What’s next ?

    Reply
  3. Warning! don’t use your 2600 psi power washer to clean them. Need to replace the driver side front after realizing the liner was breaking down. Wondering if Autoneum tests their products with the thought that dudes like me like to keep them clean.

    Reply
  4. Too bad I didn’t have these on my ’13 3500 HD, I might have a pickup bed left

    Reply

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