Municipal services and Waste disposal
Turn old into a truck
What if a waste collection vehicle were itself made from what others throw away? Daimler Truck makes this idea tangible. With the concept vehicle reECONIC1 — developed together with 32 partners — the company shows that up to 80% of conventionally produced main materials can theoretically be replaced with recycled materials. This saves up to 41% CO₂ equivalents in vehicle production. And it proves that genuine circular economy in commercial vehicle manufacturing is no longer just wishful thinking.
From the fishing net to the driver's cab
Circular economy on the road: the eEconic reimagined as the reECONIC
Seat covers made from old fishing nets and carpet waste. A dashboard made from lignin-based plastics – a by-product of the paper industry. That sounds unusual. It is. And that is exactly what makes the reECONIC so special.
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The battery-electric refuse collection vehicle is based on the eEconic from Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks. It is fitted with the FAUN reNew VARIOPRESS body — which is also largely made from recycled materials. Thus, the reECONIC contains not only a sustainable propulsion technology. It also incorporates materials with a genuine history. Materials the world has already known.
"On the one hand, we are consistently decarbonising our products. On the other hand, climate-compatible and resource-conserving production and supply processes make a significant contribution," says Achim Puchert, CEO, Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
"With the reEconic, we are showing a concrete path towards a more sustainable value chain in vehicle production."
33 partners, one big idea
The reECONIC is backed by an unusually broad alliance. 33 companies have joined forces. Their shared goal: to demonstrate that a circular economy is feasible in vehicle manufacturing. The main partners alongside Daimler Truck are waste-collection vehicle specialist FAUN Umwelttechnik, the recycling company TSR Group and REMONDIS for the upcoming practical trial.
What makes this vehicle so symbolic is that the reECONIC collects waste that is channelled into recycling processes. And at the same time it is itself made from recycled materials. Few other vehicles could embody their own message more clearly.
"We initiated this project because closed loops only emerge when they are conceived and implemented together across the entire value chain."
What the numbers say.
Theory and practice are closely interwoven in the reECONIC. The components actually installed were supplemented by the project team with extrapolations and projections. The result: In theory, up to 80% of the main material groups – steel, aluminium, glass and plastic – can be replaced by recycled and bio-based materials.2 This corresponds to up to 5.2 out of 6.5 t in these material groups.3
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In production, up to 41% CO₂ equivalents could theoretically be saved this way. TÜV SÜD has reviewed and confirmed these values and the methodology.
"With our European partners we have pioneered material recycling and the use of natural materials," says Roland Dold, project lead for reECONIC, Mercedes-Benz Trucks. "Even after their service life, many components can be returned to their original constituent materials and reused — that is circular economy in its purest form."
The body completes it.
The vehicle is fitted with the FAUN reNew VARIOPRESS body. It also embodies consistent circular-economy thinking. Up to 88% of the body weight can theoretically be made from recycled materials. The fenders are made of 92% recycled plastic. The control panel carrier has a recycled-content share of 99%.
"Sustainability is not a trend, but an attitude," says Malte Sonnenburg, CEO, FAUN Group. "With the FAUN reNew VARIOPRESS we prove that responsibility and economic viability go hand in hand — and that a circular economy in vehicle manufacturing can become a reality."
Back into the cycle
A vehicle made from recycled materials should be recyclable at the end of its life. That was a central concern for the project partners. With the reECONIC, particular emphasis was therefore placed on high potential recovery rates.
Glass can be returned to the material cycle an unlimited number of times — without loss of quality. 64% of the glass surfaces used in the reECONIC already consist of recycled material. Beech wood, a renewable raw material that is being used for the first time in a modern commercial vehicle by Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, also offers additional advantages. During its growth it additionally binds CO₂e from the atmosphere.
Are you interested in the eEconic?
From concept to the road
At IFAT 2026 in Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, Daimler Truck unveiled the reECONIC to the public. The complete vehicle ran on the vehicle course and was explained by experts. At the Mercedes‑Benz Special Trucks stand, a separately constructed driver’s cab in cross-section showed which materials are used where.
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1 The reECONIC is a concept vehicle that still needs to be tested (with regard to safety and certification aspects, etc.) to determine whether planned series production is at all possible.
2 The weight of the battery is not taken into account in this calculation of the total vehicle weight.
3 Confirmed by TÜV SÜD report no. 0713371115.
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