Ford has become the first automaker to use a part made of 100 percent recycled ocean plastic in its vehicles as the Bronco Sport will use wiring harness clips made entirely of the waste material.
Although not the first to use any amount of recycled ocean plastics in its vehicles, Ford is the first to make parts entirely out of the material. The five-gram clip is just as strong and durable as the part made using non-recycled plastic, but comes with a 10 percent cost savings and requires less energy to manufacture.
“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,” said Jim Buczkowski, VP of research and Henry Ford technical fellow.
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Invisible to consumers, the harness clips fasten to the sides of the Bronco Sport second-row seats and guide wires that power side-curtain airbags. The material it’s made of, though, is harvested from plastic collected in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea by DSM Engineering Materials. Once harvested, the plastic is washed of saltwater, dried, and extruded into small pellets. Those are then injection molded by Ford supplier HellermannTyton into the clips.
“As a global leader in cable management innovation, HellermannTyton strives for eco-friendly ways to pave the path to a more sustainable future,” said Anisia Peterman, HellermannTyton’s automotive product manager. “Developments like this do not come easy, so we are proud to collaborate with Ford in support of a unique product solution that contributes to healthier oceans.”
Although the clip is small, Ford is planning on using recycled ocean plastics to make more parts, including transmission brackets, wire shields, and floor side rails. All of the above are stationary parts with strength demands that the material can meet or exceed, the automaker says.
Ford has made a habit of using unusual materials to produce parts; in March, it announced that it was making fuel line clips out of recycled waste from SmileDirectClub for the F-250 Super Duty.
