Ford’s use of renewable and recyclable materials

Dr. Valentina Cerato, Senior Materials Engineer at Ford UK will do a presentation about the “Strategic approach to the use of non-metallic recycled content” at our international conference “Automotive Interior – Smart materials and surfaces” (24. – 26. September 2012, Hilton Hotel in Bonn, Germany).
www.auto-interior-materials.com

Here you can read about the applications in the Ford Focus (2010):

To find out what happens to discarded household carpets, old jeans or empty bottles, take a closer look at the Ford Focus. Ford’s innovative hatchback is spearheading a comprehensive European recycling campaign, which has created over 300 separate parts formed with recycled material and diverts around 20,000 tonnes away from landfill each year.

Valentina Cerato, materials engineer at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre, Essex, said: “Ford’s approach is guided by its Product Sustainability Index, including sustainable material and substance management. The index covers recycled materials and the use of natural fibres, which continue to replace plastics in Ford components.”

For more information: www.carpages.co.uk/ford/ford-focus-22-01-10.asp

Here is a general overview from Ford (2010):

Ford is making its vehicles more eco-friendly through increased use of renewable and recyclable materials such as the soy and bio-based seat cushions and seatbacks on the 2010 Ford Taurus.Ford vehicles are now 85 percent recyclable by weight. In 2009, Ford saved approximately $4.5 million by using recycled materials, and diverted between 25 and 30 million pounds of plastic from landfills in North America alone.

“Sustainable materials need to meet the same high standards for quality, durability and performance as virgin material; there can be no compromise on product quality,” said Valentina Cerato, Ford materials engineer in Europe.

In Europe, automakers are required to take back the vehicles they’ve produced at the end of the vehicles’ useful lives. Ford has end-of-life recycling networks for its vehicles in 16 European markets and participates in industry collective systems in another 10. In 2007, Ford became one of the first automakers in Europe to be certified in compliance with end-of-life requirements.

For more information:  www.at.ford.com/news/cn/Pages/FordisMakingGreenerVehiclesthroughIncreasedUseofRenewableandRecyclableMaterials.aspx