The sustainable journey
While tests on bamboo continue, Ford is already making use of sustainable and recycled materials. The company recently announced it is working with Jose Cuervo® to explore the use of the tequila producer's agave plant by-product to develop more sustainable bioplastics to employ in Ford vehicles.

Ford uses several sustainable materials including:

Kenaf, a tropical plant in the cotton family, is used in the door bolsters of Ford Escape

REPREVE fabric, made from recycled plastic bottles, diverts more than 5 million plastic bottles from landfill annually. Ford most recently introduced REPREVE in F-150

Post-consumer cotton from denim and T-shirts is used as interior padding and sound insulation in most Ford vehicles

EcoLon post-consumer nylon carpeting is used as cylinder head covers in Ford Escape, Fusion, Mustang and F-150

Recycled plastic bottles are becoming floor carpeting, wheel liners and shields in several vehicles including Ford Transit and C-MAX

Recycled post-consumer tires are used in seals and gaskets

Rice hulls are used to reinforce plastic in Ford F-150 electrical harness

Soy-based foams are used as seat cushions, seatbacks and head restraints in Ford's North American vehicle lineup

Wheat straw is used in Ford Flex to reinforce storage bins

Cellulose tree fibers are used in the armrest of Lincoln MKX. Used to replace glass-filled plastic, this industry-first material weighs 10 percent less, is produced 30 percent faster, and reduces carbon emissions.

END