Sustainable and recycled materials you'll find in car interiors

While the obvious, and most impactful initiative is the uptake of the electric vehicle in favour of traditional internal combustion-engined (ICE) vehicles, the materials used in the manufacturing process of a car contribute between 6-25% of the lifetime carbon footprint of a car.

So as automakers push toward an all-electric future, they are also replacing the all traditional leather, wood and wool interiors with recycled and sustainable materials that not only make the car greener but lighter. Let’s look at the brands leading the development of these new sustainable materials.

Tesla announced that they were removing all leather from their vehicles in 2019, replacing it with a vegan leather made from organic materials.

You’ll find seats covered in a fabric called Dinamica which is a soft suede fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. The dashboard trim and floors retain the wood look in a sustainable way by using Karuun, a timber product made from rattan- an exceptionally sustainable resource that can renew in 5-7 years.

Polestar’s carpets are made from recycled fishing nets, dashboards and centre consoles are made from a flax-based composite material instead of plastic, and seat inserts made with a cork-based vinyl, another highly sustainable resource.

“We have tried to create materials that are not emulating leather,” said Max Missoni, Polestar’s head of design in a New York Times piece. This move has seen them experiment with a seat fabric made using a special 3D knit that eliminates waste.

BMW claims that 95% of the materials used to produce a BMW i3 can be recycled. The interior of the BMW i3 features door trim panels and a dashboard made from renewable natural fibres, naturally tanned leather using olive leaf extract, and ethically-sourced eucalyptus wood. The car’s fabric is 100% recycled polyester, made in part from recycled PET bottles.

The new Ford Bronco Sport has become the first vehicle to feature parts made of 100% recycled ocean plastics. Wiring harness clips used in the car are made from discarded plastic fishing nets rescued from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

While the Ford Escape’s lightweight underbody shields are made from recycled water bottles. And the company is planning to upcycle materials such as discarded carpets and tyres, dried coffee beans skins, agave fibres from tequila making, and old US currency into car parts.

Hyundai’s Ioniq and Nexo EVs both utilise many agricultural byproducts that would otherwise be considered waste. From eco paint (made using oil extracted from plants such as rape flowers and corn)  used on the exteriors and internal surfaces and interior materials extracted from sugar cane and corn, with leather dyed using flaxseed oil.

These natural plastics are tested against common products such as sunscreens, perfumes, moisturisers and hand sanitisers to ensure they are as robust as they are renewable. Up to 32 plastic bottles are shredded into plastic chips, melted and spun into threads that make up the woven upholstery used on seats and door armrests.

Skoda's Enyaq iV electric SUV which is heading down under in 2023 has been toughed as the brand's most upcycled car ever. Sustainable materials are used for practical and stylish solutions in the electric SUV’s interior with sound insulation made from recycled textiles, and both the floor and boot mats are made and remoulded using fibres from recycled PET bottles.

In the Lodge trim grade, 60 per cent of the polyester for the seat fabric is reclaimed from recycled PET bottles while the remaining 40 per cent is made from eco-friendly natural wool. The ENYAQ iV also offers buyers a distinctive cognac-coloured leather interior that is tanned without chemicals, using olive leaf extracts. Usually, olive leaves are burned and considered waste material in the food production industry, this process makes efficient use of them in place of chemicals and the leather has been processed in an innovative, eco-friendly manner.

Even toymaker Mattel is joining the trend, releasing a series of eco-friendly, carbon-neutral cars. They’ve got a Matchbox Tesla Roadster, made from 99% recycled materials and to be certified as carbon neutral, a new Recycling Truck made from 80% bio-based plastic and a twelve-pack of die-cast electric vehicles made from recycled zinc.

Related: Five cars that offer vegan-friendly or sustainable interiors

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