Torqeedo relies on recycled ocean-bound plastic from #tide®

Full speed ahead: how an orange propeller and recycled ocean-bound plastic team up to power boats. Torqeedo builds its Cruise and Travel lines with #tide® — proof that recyclate can hold its own where things get technically demanding.

The German company Torqeedo is one of the world's technology pioneers for electric boat drives. It lets boats glide silently and emission-free across the water at the point of use — with no fossil fuels in the drive. Founded just over 20 years ago, Torqeedo is now part of the Yamaha Motor Group. With its new Cruise series and Travel family, Torqeedo shows how recycled materials can be used even in technically demanding, long-lasting applications.

Up to 95 percent of the plastic components in the shaft head of the Cruise 3.0 and Cruise 6.0 (48V) are made from recycled plastic from #tide® — OBP (ocean-bound plastic) certified by the inspection body Control Union and sourced from Southeast Asia gets a second life this way. Waste that once risked ending up in the ocean now provides propulsion on the water thanks to this collaboration.

Documented origin

Behind this is a collaboration between the technical departments of Torqeedo and #tide®. Through targeted compounding, #tide® supplies a raw material that undergoes the same technical testing at Torqeedo as conventional materials — an important quality feature for a component in continuous use on the water.

It's not just quality that has to be right — origin makes a difference here too. #tide® collects ocean-bound plastic, meaning plastic waste in at-risk coastal regions. #tide® is active with collection and recycling networks exactly where it counts. The waste is collected, sorted, and processed into high-quality recyclate — generating income for collectors and at sorting centers. Thanks to OBP certification, the material is traceable.

The Travel propeller

The unmistakable orange three-blade propeller of the Travel family is also largely about #tide® material: it contains recycled ocean-bound plastic.

Several rounds of development and testing were needed before it was ready for series production. The goal: a recyclate that withstands the demands of a component permanently exposed to water and mechanical stress.

The Travel propeller is thus a vivid example of what's possible today with high-quality recyclates: plastic waste from at-risk coastal regions becomes a technical component — and returns to the water. This time, though, as part of a long-lasting product.

Torqeedo Watercare

The use of recycled materials is not a one-off project, but part of Torqeedo's Watercare program. It stands for the responsible use of water — from product development to hands-on clean-up campaigns.

Material innovation and concrete commitment to water bodies — at Torqeedo, the two go hand in hand.

Why the collaboration matters

The partnership with Torqeedo demonstrates: #tide's recycled ocean-bound plastics perform well even in technically demanding and long-lasting applications. It's not just the origin and recycled content that matter, but also the material properties, consistent quality and traceability.

"It always makes me proud when our material is returned to the production cycle and becomes part of a high-quality product", says #tide's Co-founder Marc Krebs. In this case, the circle has been closed in a very special way, he continues: "Plastic waste that would otherwise have ended up in the sea was collected in time, recycled according to our method and is now providing new propulsion. Anyone who chooses Torqeedo is opting for a quieter, electric drive."

For manufacturers who want to use more recycled plastics and need reliable data on their material flows, Torqeedo offers a tangible example: circular economy, implemented in a real series product.