Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2013 Ford Escape Built with Recyclables

The 2013 Ford Escape contains a number of high-quality materials to ensure safety, comfort, and aesthetics. Several of these materials are living a second life.

Ford is one of several automakers using recycled materials in cars. Plastic bottles are the most popular recyclable for vehicle manufacturing, and have been used by carmakers in upholstery, carpet, and body panels. Ford’s latest sustainability efforts are readily apparent in its 2013 Ford Escape crossover SUV.

The carpets of each 2013 Escape will contain about 25 20-ounce plastic bottles. Ford says this recycling effort will keep about 4 million bottles out of landfills every year. All of the material in the carpeting is derived from either post-consumer recycled content or post-industrial content (materials recycled from manufacturing waste).

Seat fabric in the new Escape also contains post-industrial recycled plastics. Sound-absorbing dash insulation on every Escape will contain over ten pounds of recycled cotton, from scrapped clothing. The climate control gasket is made from recycled tires, and the power undershields beneath the engine and transmission are made of 100% recycled material.

In addition to the use of recyclables, the Escape utilizes renewable materials, including soy foam in the seat cushions and headrests and plant fiber used in the door inserts.

The Escape itself is even largely recyclable. It meets the USCAR Vehicle Recycling Partnership goal by containing 85 percent recyclable materials. Ford says its recycling efforts will join its gas mileage improvement technologies to reduce Ford's carbon footprint.

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