DEARBORN, Mich. (July 18, 2011)—Ford Motor Co. is using recycled tires, carpet and blue jeans in an effort to reduce the environmental footprint of its new vehicles.
According to an Environmental News Service report, the Dearborn-based car maker and supplier Recycled Polymeric Materials have found a way to give discarded tires new life as environmentally-friendly seals and gaskets for Ford vehicles.
“When it comes to finding a way to use more renewable and recyclable content in our vehicles, Ford and our suppliers are looking at every part of a vehicle,” said Cynthia Flanigan, technical leader, research and innovation. “As long as an application makes sense and upholds strict quality standards, we'll look to get these sustainable materials inside our vehicles.”
The vehicle gaskets and seals are derived from 25-percent, post-consumer particulate from recycled tires and 17 percent bio-renewable content from soy.
In total, Ford said more than 2.2 million pounds of rubber from recycled tires has been made into RPM seals and gaskets and more than 210,000 used tires have been recycled. Some 150,000 pounds of soy has been used to create seal and gasket materials.
Ford's “reduce, reuse and recycle” commitment is part of the company's broader global sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint while accelerating the development of advanced, fuel-efficient vehicle technologies.