Growing social consciousness has elevated sustainability from trend to lifestyle in less than a decade, driven by declining natural resources and global environment concerns.
Mazda Motor Corporation, in collaboration with Teijin Fibers Limited has developed a bio fabric for use in the interior of automobile vehicles. This newly developed bio fabric is based on PLA and has the quality and durability required for use in vehicle seat covers. It is resistant to abrasion and damage from sunlight and is flame retardant. Mazda had developed in 2006, a bio plastic, for use in the vehicle's instrument panel and other interior fittings.
Ford is studying ways to introduce hemp, corn, switch grass, flax and other natural fibers into the vehicles of tomorrow. Natural fibers are biodegradable, require comparatively less energy to produce and offer weight savings vs petroleum-based products. A few green technologies found inside Ford vehicles and potential sustainable solutions for the future include:
The 2008 Ford Mustang, F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator have the industry's first soy-based seat foam. Based on the Mustang application alone, Ford�s soy-foam is on track to deliver a carbon dioxide reduction of 605,000 lbs pa. The technology is being expanded to additional vehicles lines and further developed for use in John. Deere tractors, riding mowers and other equipment.
The 2008 Ford Escape features America�s first seat fabric made from 100% post-industrial materials � defined as something originally intended for retail use that never makes it to the consumer. The post industrial materials are processed, spun into yarn, dyed and woven into seat fabric; otherwise destined for landfills. As per one estimate, Ford�s use of post-industrial recycled materials, rather than virgin fibers, could conserve an estimated 600,000 gallons of water, 1.8 mln lbs of carbon dioxide equivalents and more than 7 mln kilowatt hours of electricity.
Lincoln MKR concept includes chromium-free leather, renewable soy foam seat bases and mohair carpet. This unique combination of materials gives the concept a rich-looking interior while demonstrating the more environmentally friendly amenities luxury buyers are expecting in premium goods, including vehicles.
Ford is developing a sustainable replacement for the fiberglass now used between the headliner of a vehicle and the roof sheet metal. The replacement material is bio-based, improves acoustics in the vehicles and neutralizes odors. It�s also lighter than fiberglass, which will help enhance fuel economy.
Ford researchers have made considerable inroads with polylactic acid (PLA) � a biodegradable plastic derived completely from corn � to make plastic polymers similar to those made from petroleum-based resources.

The Woodbridge Group and Cargill Inc. have partnered to produce plant-based polyurethane parts used in automotive interior applications. BioFoam� manufactured by Woodbridge, is currently made with up to 25% bio-based materials. BioFoam� feels and performs the same as conventional polyurethane foams, but is produced using a Cargill polyol called BiOH�. Soybeans are crushed and refined to form the BiOH� polyol, which is combined with other agents to mold foam for seats, arm-rests and overhead systems. Fabrics, carpets and automotive interiors are all derivatives of DuPont's Sorona Polymer, which provides superior durability and stain resistance. Another DuPont bioproduct named Cerenol is poised to give automotive coatings greater chip resistance and flexibility.

Honda Motor Co. Ltd. has developed bio-fabric, a plant-based fabric with excellent durability and resistance to sunlight, for use as a surface material in automobile interiors. Bio-fabric offers the benefit of offsetting CO2 emissions produced during incineration in the disposal stage with CO2 absorption that occurs during the growth stage of the plants that are used as raw materials. Despite this benefit, plant-based fabric has not been used commercially for automobile interiors due to concerns about limited durability and aesthetic issues. The new bio-fabric developed by Honda overcame such issues, and achieved a soft and smooth material appropriate for the surface of automobile interiors, with high durability and excellent resistance to sunlight to prevent color fading after prolonged use. In addition to seat surfaces, this bio-fabric can be used for the interior surface of the doors and roof and for floor mats. Honda will install these bio-fabric interiors to the company�s all-new fuel cell vehicle which will be introduced to the market within next three years. A polyester material called PPT (polypropylene terephthalate) is the basic material of the bio-fabric. PPT is produced through polymerization of 1-3PDO (propanediol), which is produced from corn, and terephthalic acid, a petroleum-based component. In order to improve stability as a fabric, Honda applied a multi-thread structure for the fiber. In addition, unprecedented aesthetic properties were achieved by leveraging the flexibility of this fiber. Based on the concept of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), Honda has been striving to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the entire life cycle of an automobile � from production and usage to disposal. Due to the use of a plant-based ingredient in the production of raw materials, the newly developed bio-fabric will enable Honda to reduce energy used during the production process by 10 to 15% compared to the production of petroleum-based polyester materials. The use of a plant-based ingredient can reduce 5 kilogram CO2 emissions per automobile. Further, the new bio-fabric does not require changes in existing fabric production processes, and is suitable for mass production. Honda will first introduce bio-fabric interiors with the new fuel cell vehicle, then try to gradually expand the application to new models from 2009 and beyond.
Automotive and component manufacturers everywhere realize the market advantages of delivering a smaller ecological footprint to consumers, while reducing the dependence on crude oil.