JLR ‘going green’ by using plastic waste in their cars
JLR has revealed the next generation of its vehicles are going green in their production.
Luxury vehicles from both the Jaguar and Land Rover brands will feature floor mats and trims made with Econyl fibre from recycled industrial plastic, fabric offcuts from clothing manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry, and those abandoned in the ocean – called ‘ghost nets’.
JLR said this was a commitment to designing sustainable luxury interiors using responsibly sourced and recycled materials as part of their Destination Zero mission, with innovation helping make environments safer and cleaner.
Econyl regenerated nylon, created by Aquafil – a global leader in the synthetic fibres industry – has already been used by high-end fashion, sportswear and luxury watch brands to create handbags, backpacks, swimwear and watch straps.
The nylon waste is reclaimed by Aquafil from all over the world. In a single year, the company recycles as much as 40,000 tonnes of waste, with the process reducing the global warming impact of nylon by 90 per cent compared with the material produced from oil.
For every 10,000 tonnes of Econyl raw material produced, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved and 65,100 tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent are avoided.
Focus
Inside state-of-the-art treatment centres the waste is analysed, treated and prepared to feed into a chemical plant, where the nylon waste is broken to its original raw material using a chemical treatment process, known as depolymerization.
The raw nylon material is then turned into the yarn.
Throughout the process, other by-products such as non-nylon, metallic materials or copper sulphate which is used for preventing seagrass growing on fishing nets, are removed and sent to alternative industries for recycling.
The regenerated nylon polymer has the same chemical and performance characteristics as raw fossil material, allowing it to be processed into a fibre for carpet flooring and textiles.
Adrian Iles, senior engineer of interior systems at JLR, said: “Our designers and engineers are committed to developing the next generation of sustainable materials that will feature on future Jaguar and Land Rover models.
"We place a great deal of focus on the creation of new sustainable materials, using the latest techniques.”
