There is an everyday proverb that says "what you sow, what you get". The plastic water bottles we discard now may become polluting trash, but put another way, if they can be reused, those bottles may soon be turned into treasure and become part of our next car. Sustainability has become the industry's favorite buzzword.
Automakers are also racing to repurpose environmentally unfriendly materials into cushions, foot mats, door panels and dashboard trim, initially from recycled wood, then "vegan" leather, and now plastic waste from the ocean, rice hulls, linseed and agave are changing the manufacturing process.
The ABC article describes the practices of several major automakers in using renewable materials to build cars.
Ford: Marine debris 'turned' into car parts "Everyone is becoming aware of the problem of plastic and waste." "There was a lot of publicity about ocean pollution two years ago, and we felt obligated to do something about it," said Deborah Milevsky, a sustainability technical fellow at U.S. automaker Ford. Ford, in particular, promotes the use of renewable materials in its vehicles.
In 2008, the company replaced the petroleum-based polyol foam used in Mustangs with cushions made from soybeans, an industry first. Recently, Milevsky and his team began researching how to turn some of the 13 million tons of ocean plastic into parts for future Ford cars. These plastics threaten marine life and pollute coastlines. The result is that they made the harness clips for the new Ford off-road vehicle, the Bronco Sport, out of what was once nylon fishing net. The Royal DSM Group in the Netherlands recovers nets from fishermen and supplies them to Ford. The nets are sorted, washed and dried, then cut into small pellets and molded into harness clips weighing about 5 grams as well as guide wires that power the Bronco Sport's side curtain airbags. Currently, Ford is testing the durability of recycled plastic on the Bronco Sport's radome, floor side rails and transmission mounts, Milevsky said.
Audi: Sustainable materials for a zero-carbon future For German automaker Audi, sustainable materials are the first step toward achieving its goal of carbon neutrality. Recycled PET bottles are ground into polyester yarn, which makes up 89% of the material used for Audi's fourth-generation A3 car seats. Additional PET bottles were recycled for the carpet of the Audi A3. The carpet and floor mats of the all-electric E-tron GT are made of Econyl, a recycled nylon fiber made from fishing net. 20-inch wheels of the E-tron GT are also assembled from low-carbon aluminum.
In August, Audi presented the Skysphere electric sports car concept, which features sustainably produced materials such as microfiber fabrics, environmentally certified eucalyptus wood and synthetic leather. "Audi is committed to using sustainable materials, and we are making a difference in the manufacture of new vehicles," said Spencer Reid, Audi's director of government affairs, "We have very high standards and a thorough review of these products." However, Reid said Audi's top priority is to expand its electric vehicle lineup. By 2025, 30 percent of Audi vehicles in the U.S. will be all-battery electric or plug-in hybrid. The industry is currently focused on the battery materials nickel, lithium and magnesium, and sourcing them sustainably.
Volvo: Leather-free by 2030 Automaker Volvo says it is addressing all sustainability issues for its cars, not just carbon emissions.The company says it will be leather-free by 2030 and use a material it has developed called Nordico, which consists of textiles made from recycled materials such as PET bottles, bio-property materials from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and cork recycled from the wine industry.
Volvo has been "looking for technologies to reduce residues in livestock production, which are often used in the production of plastics, rubber, lubricants and adhesives, either as part of the material or as process chemicals in the production or handling of the material," said Rekha Miner, Volvo's senior design manager for color and materials.
"In most of our major markets, consumer demand for more sustainable materials, particularly alternatives to leather, is trending upward due to concerns about animal welfare and the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation." Miner says, "We had the same concerns and chose to move away from using animal leather and instead focus on high-quality sustainable alternatives like Nordico to meet the needs of our customers."
Jeffrey Hill, a professor at Columbia University's business school, says automakers are doing this because they are feeling pressure from consumers and governments. But there are real obstacles in car manufacturing that stand in the way of making the world a better place. While these changes are small steps, Hill said, each small step makes a difference.
