Ford First to Use Recycled Ocean Plastics for Parts
Photo: Ford
Around 13 million metric tons of plastic waste enter our oceans every year. This, to put things mildly, is super not cool. A massive effort is needed to help clean up the seas, and Ford is getting involved today by making component parts from 100 percent recycled ocean plastics for its all-new Bronco Sport.
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Ford Bronco Sport’s small clips make big difference
Ford is the first automaker to leverage recycled ocean plastics for parts, using refuse collected from the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea to produce wiring harness clips. This has a dual benefit — it not only reduces the amount of plastic waste in the ocean, but it also requires less energy (and cost) to produce than traditional petroleum-based clips.
To create these clips, DSM Engineering Materials collects discarded nylon fishing nets from the water, cleans them, and breaks them down into pellets. Supplier HellermannTyton then molds those pellets into the shape of the clips before sending them off to Ford.
Photo: Ford
The clips themselves are not noticeable aspects of the vehicle. They attach to the sides of the seats in the second row of the Bronco Sport and help guide wires to the vehicle’s side-curtain airbags. Ford is already thinking of ways to expand the use of recycled ocean plastic parts for components like transmission brackets and wire shields.
“This is another example of Ford leading the charge on sustainability,” said Ford Vice President of Research and Henry Ford technical fellow Jim Buczkowski. “It is a strong example of circular economy, and while these clips are small, they are an important first step in our explorations to use recycled ocean plastics for additional parts in the future.”
Discarded fishing nets, also known as ghost gear, make up about 10 percent of all plastic waste in the ocean. They’re particularly harmful to ecosystems, killing sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, and other creatures that become entangled in them.
Ford continues innovation in recycled plastic parts
Ford is no stranger to innovation when it comes to turning recycled materials into parts. The automaker already uses material created from recycled plastic bottles in vehicles like the F-Series and Escape. In 2019, Ford estimated that it uses 1.2 million recycled plastic bottles each year for vehicle production. This past April, Ford also revealed that it’s working with HP to make parts out of 3D printing waste.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.