Go Green: Ford Fun Fact
Did you know?
Ford began using recycled material in seat fabrics in
2005. “We’ve been passionate about this
for a while” said Susan Swek (Ford’s chief designer of color and material
design). “The seat fabric of the 2008
Ford Escape Hybrid contained 100 percent postindustrial waste.”
In 2006, Ford’s goal was to have 25% recycled content in its
2009 and beyond models. Since those
days, some 37 fabrics with recycled material have been developed for use in
Ford vehicles. “We put a stake in the
ground in 2009,” Swek said, adding that today, most models, from the Ford Flex
to the F-150, meet the requirement.
Now, Ford is upping the ante, requiring that seat fabrics be
composed of up to 38% recycled material. The seats of the 2012 Ford Focus
electric, for example, are covered with Repreve, a yarn that is made with 38% post consumer waste primarily from plastic bottles. Seats for one Focus electric require 22 16-oz
plastic bottles. That means 22 fewer
bottles in landfills,” Swek said.
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