Choosing More Sustainable Materials

We are working to improve the sustainability of our vehicles by using materials that are more sustainable from a total lifecycle perspective. This includes increasing the use of recycled, renewable, recyclable and lightweight materials. Recycled materials incorporate post-consumer and/or post-industrial waste materials; renewable materials are made from plant-based materials; and lightweight materials use special materials and/or designs that provide the same or better performance as other alternatives with less weight.

Recycled Materials

Our efforts to increase recycled materials focus on nonmetallic parts, which historically have had little or no recycled content. We recently updated our global sustainable materials strategy, which stipulates that a wide range of parts on vehicles be made out of plastics from post-consumer recycled waste, such as detergent bottles, tires and automotive battery casings. The vehicle parts containing recycled content include underbody and aerodynamic shields, fender liners, splash shields, stone pecking cuffs, battery housing covers and base plates, wheel arch liners, heating and ventilation components, fan shrouds and powertrain undershields, and fabric rear-wheel liners. Our global sustainable materials strategy saves money and reduces landfill waste. We estimate that in North America alone, Ford saves approximately $10 million per year by using recycled materials.

Most of our recycled-content parts have more than 50 percent recycled materials. For example, many underbody and underhood plastic parts are made from 75 percent recycled batteries and 8 percent recycled HDPE bottles. Most of the underbody molded and/or masticated rubber parts we use in North America are made from blends of recycled polypropylene and car tires and contain 75 percent to 90 percent post-consumer recycled content. We use more than 50 million pounds of post-consumer recycled materials on the exterior of Ford vehicles made in North America, which translates to more than 17.8 pounds per vehicle on average across our North American fleet.

These parts not only increase our use of recycled materials, they can also have additional benefits. For example, fabric rear-wheel liners, which contain 30 percent to 40 percent recycled content, are 50 percent lighter than plastic wheel liners, and they absorb sound, which improves noise vibration and harshness performance while potentially reducing the need for sound-deadening insulators, sprays and foams. We continue to expand the use of recycled plastics into additional parts where they meet performance and cost requirements.

We are using post-consumer recycled nylon in many underhood parts, including air cleaner housings, engine fans, fan shrouds, HVAC temperature valves, engine covers, cam covers and carbon canisters. We are using nylon resin made from recycled carpets for cylinder head covers in the Ford Escape, Fusion, Mustang and F-150. So far, we have recycled nearly 4.1 million pounds of carpet into cylinder head covers, the equivalent of a carpet the size of more than 150 football fields. Use of this recycled material has prevented the use of more than 430,000 gallons of oil.

In Europe, we strive to use recycled polymers in all of our vehicles, when such materials provide a more sustainable solution. In addition to recycled content in our new vehicle parts, we are also recycling damaged parts collected by dealers. In the U.K., we are recycling bumpers that have been damaged in accidents or replaced in service. Ford dealers collect the bumpers, which are recycled into new bumpers and other plastic parts. Previously, dealers had to pay to dispose of these bumpers as waste. Currently, dealers store them in a container that is collected by Ford for free.

In the U.S., 2013 marks the 10-year anniversary of our Core Recovery Program, through which we have been reusing and recycling parts removed at dealership service centers for use in the production of new Ford vehicles. We have continually expanded the number of parts that we reuse or recycle through this program. The program works similarly to bottle recycling programs available in many U.S. states. Ford dealership service centers are charged a fee when they order a new part from Ford, but this fee is refunded if the dealer recycles the old part through the Core Recovery Program. When we collect a part from a dealership we determine whether it is fit for refurbishment and placement into a new Ford vehicle. Parts that can be remanufactured are cleaned, machined and tested to meet Ford quality standards before being used in new Ford vehicles. If a part cannot be remanufactured, we send it to a third party where it is broken down into small pellets that are eventually shipped back to Ford for use in the new-vehicle manufacturing process. During the last 10 years, the program has saved approximately 120 million pounds of vehicle waste from being buried in landfills or being sent to junkyards. In addition to reducing waste, this program has also saved Ford money.

Across our global operations, we are also using recycled materials for interior parts. This can be much more challenging than using recycled materials for underbody, subsurface and exterior black parts, because it is a challenge to achieve the necessary appearance and performance using recycled materials. We are continuing to expand our use of recycled seat fabrics and seat components that meet all appearance and performance requirements.

Since the 2009 model year, the seat fabrics in most of our new or redesigned North American vehicles are made from at least 25 percent post-industrial or post-consumer recycled content. Thirty-seven different fabrics meeting the requirements have been developed and incorporated into Ford vehicles. In addition, many of our non-woven headliner fabrics now contain 50 to 75 percent recycled yarns, depending on the color.

Ford is the first automaker to use REPREVE – a hybrid fiber made from recycled plastic water bottles and post-industrial waste – for seating fabric. This fiber was introduced on the 2012 Ford Focus and is used on the 2013 Ford Fusion. Each Focus uses seat fabric made from approximately 22 plastic, 16-ounce water bottles, while the Fusion S and SE models use approximately 39 plastic bottles per vehicle. Ford partnered with the yarn manufacturer Unifi to collect bottles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and other events throughout 2012 for use in the Focus Electric seat fabric.

The following table highlights some of the recycled-content interior materials in our recent vehicles:

We have also expanded the use of recycled materials in several visible exterior applications. For example, the 2011 Ford Super Duty used material derived from recycled battery casings on several aesthetic parts, such as license plate brackets, the 4x2’s bumper valence panel and the fog lamp bezels. These parts are “molded in color” and color-matched to provide visual harmony. The Super Duty also used post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic for its fascia lower valence.

Recycled materials do not mean low-quality materials. Our researchers work to ensure that post- industrial and post-consumer recycled plastic materials have the same level of quality and same material specifications as the virgin material parts. In some cases, we are working to recycle the materials from our auto parts right back into the same use. For example, we are developing methods for recycling and cleaning post-industrial recycled fascia and bumper scrap so that it can be molded into new fascias and bumpers. We are even working to “upcycle” certain materials – that is, recycle it into uses with higher material and performance requirements than the virgin material. For example, we are working on upcycling post-consumer laundry and milk bottles into blow-molded automotive components. In addition, we are developing a method to recycle polyurethane foam scrap to make new polyurethane foam components instead of landfilling it at the end of its life.

Renewable Materials

Ford Motor Company has a long tradition of developing and using plant-based materials, which started with the Company’s founder, Henry Ford. Mr. Ford passionately believed in a partnership between industry and agriculture, each using the products of the other. The first Ford vehicles used soybean oil in plastic body panels and paint, as well as wheat-straw-reinforced steering wheels. We are continuing this legacy today.

We are actively researching and developing renewable materials and applications that will reduce our dependence on petroleum and reduce our carbon footprint, while providing superior performance. Research scientists at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center in the U.S., Ford’s Research Center in Aachen, Germany, and Ford of Brazil are focused on developing automotive foams, plastics and composites that are derived from renewable resources. Ford is now a recognized leader in bringing high-performance, durable, plant-based materials to millions of vehicles every year.

Since 2002, our researchers have pioneered the research and development of soy-based polyurethane foams for automotive applications. The use of soy foam reduces CO₂ emissions, decreases dependency on petroleum oil and increases the utilization of renewable agricultural commodities. Soy foam also offers the potential for cost savings as well as insulation from petroleum product price swings.

In 2007, Ford was the world’s first automaker to implement this innovative technology (on the seat cushions and seat backs of the 2008 Ford Mustang), and we have since migrated its use across all of our vehicle lines produced in North America. As of 2011, all Ford Motor Company vehicles built in North America have soy foam in their seat cushions and backs. In addition, 75 percent of headrests produced in North America have soy foam, and the headliner on the Ford Escape is made from sustainable bio-based foam.

Ford currently has soy foam seats in more than 8 million vehicles on the road, which reduces petroleum oil usage by more than 5 million pounds annually. Lifecycle analyses that compare soy foams with traditional petroleum-based foams show a net decrease of 5.5 pounds of CO₂ per pound of soy oil used. Ford’s use of soy foam reduces our annual CO₂ emissions by 20 million pounds – the annual equivalent of emissions from more than 1,500 typical American households. We continue to investigate new applications for soy foam, such as for underhood and energy-absorbing foams.

Ford and our supplier partner Recycled Polymeric Materials (RPM) continue to expand the use of new “green” seals and gaskets that incorporate both bio-renewable soybean oils and post-consumer, recycled tires. This material is currently used in 14 of our vehicle lines, including the Ford Escape, F-150, Focus, Mustang and Taurus. The use of these greener gaskets and seals has diverted more than 2 million pounds of used tires from landfills and has used approximately 1.4 million pounds of soybean oil.

Ford has also pioneered the use of soy oil in rubber. By using renewable soy oil as a 25 percent replacement for petroleum oil, Ford researchers more than doubled the rubber’s “stretchability” and at the same time reduced its environmental impact. Soy-based rubber parts – such as radiator deflector shields, air baffles, cup holder inserts and floor mats – are under consideration for future Ford vehicle programs.

We have continued to expand our use of sustainable elastomer applications. Scientists within Ford Research have developed a patented technology using soy-based rubber in plastic applications. And we are currently researching the potential of soybean oil in exterior rubber parts, with funding from the United Soybean Board. In 2002, Ford joined a university- and industry-based collaborative effort called the Program of Excellence in Natural Rubber Alternatives, to investigate and develop new technologies related to alternative sources for rubber and latex.

We have introduced plant-based castor oil foam in the instrument panel of the 2012 Ford Focus and 2013 Ford Escape. The castor oil foam, which includes more than 10 percent renewable content, provides a more sustainable interior foam solution than petroleum-based foam and does not compete with food sources. It also reduces scrap due to improved flow and processing characteristics, is more durable than the materials it replaces, and reduces production time by more than 40 percent.

We also use renewable materials to reinforce plastic and for other applications in vehicle materials. For example, the average Ford vehicle sold in Europe uses between 10 and 20 kilograms of renewable materials, depending on the vehicle size class. Almost 300 parts used across Ford’s European vehicles are derived from sources such as cotton, wood, flax, hemp, jute and natural rubber. Also in Europe we use Lignotech, a compression-molded polypropylene and wood material in the door panels of the Ford Focus and Fiesta. And we use kenaf to reinforce compression-molded plastic in door parts. We have used this material in Europe for many years in door-panel inserts. For example, the Ford Mondeo uses a mixture of 50 percent kenaf plant fiber and 50 percent polypropylene in the compression-molded interior door panel.

We also use kenaf to reinforce plastic in North America – in particular in the door interior bolsters on the Ford Escape. Kenaf, which is a tropical plant that looks similar to bamboo and is related to cotton, replaces some of the oil-based resin in the plastic. The use of kenaf in this part offsets 300,000 pounds of oil-based resin per year in North America. In addition, the material reduces the weight of the door bolsters by 25 percent, which translates into better fuel efficiency. In North America we also use a coconut-fiber trunk liner in the 2012 Focus Electric.

In 2009, Ford introduced the world’s first application of wheat-straw-reinforced plastic, which we developed in conjunction with the Canadian BioCar initiative, in the third-row storage bins of the Ford Flex. For this application, wheat straw is used to replace the glass fibers or minerals commonly used to reinforce plastic parts. The use of wheat straw is a highly efficient use of natural fiber, because it is a byproduct of growing wheat that is typically discarded or burned. The use of wheat-straw-reinforced plastics in the Flex reduces our petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds and our CO₂ emissions by about 30,000 pounds annually. The material weighs up to 15 percent less than plastic reinforced with glass or talc. Additional applications of wheat-straw-reinforced plastics under consideration by the Ford team include console bins and trays, climate-control air ducts, door trim panel components and armrest liners.

The injection-molding technique that Ford first pioneered to include wheat straw in interior parts is now being adapted by Ford researchers for use with other natural fibers such as hemp and sisal. These new processes will allow us to make increasingly complex components including natural fibers and increase the number of natural-fiber-reinforced applications. The environmental benefits of natural-fiber-reinforced plastics can include reducing component weight (especially when replacing glass fibers) and allowing lower production temperatures (approximately 40 degrees lower than conventional plastic). Using the fibers can also have social benefits. Sisal, for example, which thrives on marginal land in hot and arid conditions, is of major economic importance to some developing countries and communities.

We are using engineered wood technology, which comes from a certified, sustainably managed forest and is a renewable resource, on several interior applications in North American vehicles. This wood, which is harvested under strict guidelines, is assembled into a composite and then stained to give it a warm, rich appearance. In addition, the use of engineered wood eliminates many of the extra processing steps necessary in producing solid wood automotive trim parts, and the processing required is more environmentally friendly. For example, water-based stain can be used instead of solvent-based, and a solvent wash to remove oils is not needed. Additional bleaching and sealing operations are eliminated, which greatly reduces the production of VOCs. Engineered wood technology uses input materials more efficiently, so less waste material is sent to landfills.

Engineered ebony wood was implemented on the 2008 Lincoln Truck, the 2008 and 2009 Navigator, the 2008 MKX and the 2009 MKS. The 2012 and 2013 Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Navigator use California plantation-grown swirl walnut veneer. This locally grown veneer is manufactured with a warm lacquer process that reduces the number of topcoats required and thereby lowers related VOC emissions from the production process.

For the past few years, Ford has been working with forest products leader Weyerhaeuser to develop a plastic composite material that uses cellulose fibers from trees in place of fiberglass or mineral reinforcements. The cellulose fibers in this new composite come from sustainably grown and harvested trees and related byproducts, such as wood chips, which reduces the material’s environmental footprint. In addition, replacing fiberglass, minerals and/or petroleum with a natural, plant-based material can sequester CO₂ and ultimately lead to a smaller carbon footprint. So far, we have found that Weyerhaeuser’s cellulose-based plastic composite materials meet our stringent requirements for stiffness, durability and temperature resistance. Furthermore, the components weigh about 10 percent less and can be produced 20 percent to 40 percent faster and with less energy when made with cellulose-based materials compared with fiberglass-based materials. These weight and process savings can enable equivalent or reduced component costs. Several prototype parts are currently being tested.

In 2012, Ford joined with The Coca-Cola Company, H.J. Heinz Company, NIKE, Inc., and Procter & Gamble to form the Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC), a strategic working group focused on accelerating the development and use of 100 percent plant-based PET materials. The partnership will build on the success of The Coca-Cola Company’s PlantBottle™ packaging technology, which is partially made from plants and has demonstrated a lower environmental impact when compared to traditional PET plastic bottles. The overall goals of the partnership are to research and develop commercial solutions for PET plastic made entirely from plants and to drive the development of common methodologies and standards for the use of plant-based plastic, including lifecycle analyses and universal terminology.

In conjunction with Ohio State University, Ford Research has initiated a project to develop sustainable sources of materials to replace synthetic rubber. We are looking at two sources – dandelion root and guayule (a plant grown in the Southwest U.S.) – as possible replacements for natural and synthetic rubber in our plastic materials. Rubber-modified plastics are common, especially in interior applications where low temperature impact is important.

Finally, Ford researchers are continuing to work with polylactic acid (PLA) – a biodegradable plastic derived completely from the sugars in corn, sugar beets, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, Indian grass and other plants. When plastic parts made from PLA reach the end of their useful life, they can biodegrade in 90 to 120 days. In contrast, traditional petroleum-based plastics are projected to remain in landfills for hundreds of years. Several technical issues must be overcome before these compostable plastics and fabrics meet our stringent wear, performance and durability requirements, but they hold great promise for future vehicles.

Lightweight Materials

We are actively pursuing the development and use of cutting-edge materials – including high-strength steels, lightweight metals such as aluminum and magnesium, and composite materials – to reduce the weight of our vehicles and improve their fuel economy without compromising safety or performance. For more information on our use of lightweight materials, please see Weight Reductions in the Sustainable Technologies and Alternative Fuels plan section.