Recycled plastics have penetrated into all walks of life, from packaging, apparel and footwear to electronics and electrical appliances. No, even tall cars are playing the "recycled" trend.

Industrial waste plastic and marine waste plastic incarnate high-end interiors

British high-end car brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) recently announced a new cooperation with synthetic fiber company Aquafil to use its Econyl nylon fabric in the trim parts and floor mats of new generation cars.

Econyl nylon fabrics are recycled from various plastic waste materials, including industrial waste plastics, residual fabrics from clothing manufacturers, second-hand fishing nets and discarded fishing nets in the ocean.

The interior of the Jaguar Land Rover car is made of recycled Econyl nylon fabric.

Through the chemical treatment process, various materials are decomposed into nylon raw materials, and then converted into Econyl yarn. Econyl yarn has the same characteristics as conventional nylon and can be used to make carpets and other decorative materials.

Jaguar Land Rover uses yarn in its production as part of its "Destination Zero" policy to reduce the environmental impact of automobile manufacturing.

Econyl nylon fabric.

Aquafil said that due to reduced carbon emissions and energy savings, compared to the production of new nylon, the production of Econyl products can reduce carbon emissions by 90%.

Econyl nylon fabric is the latest alternative fabric used by Jaguar Land Rover cars. Prior to this, Range Rover Evoque also used eucalyptus textile interiors, and Evoque, I-Pace and Range Rover also partially used Kvadra — adopted Wool/suede cloth made from recycled plastic bottles.

Other car brands also use recycled plastics. For example, the Fiat 500 and Panda hybrid car interiors use Seaqaul yarn made from recycled marine waste.

Electric cars made from waste plastics can reduce weight by up to 50%

The TU/ecomotive student team at the University of Technology Eindhoven in the Netherlands recently released the Luca, an electric car made almost entirely of waste plastic.

According to reports, Luca's body, surface treatment, windows and interiors are all made of recycled materials, including PET bottles, ABS and domestic waste. The base is made of linen and recycled plastic, most of which comes from plastic salvaged from the ocean.

Luca, an electric car made of almost waste plastic.

Luca is a small car with two electric motors on the rear wheels. It can reach a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour and can travel up to 220 kilometers in a single pass. This consumption can be converted to 180 kilometers per liter of gasoline.

In addition to the efficient engine, the weight of the entire car is also very light, weighing only 360 kg, which is more than half the weight of similar cars. In addition, the battery that Luca is equipped with weighs only 60 kilograms, while other electric car batteries usually require hundreds of kilograms.

Luca's chassis consists of a unique sandwich panel, developed by the students in cooperation with several companies. The exterior of the chassis is made of flax fiber and marine plastic. Although these plastics have been floating in the ocean for several years and contain different types of resins, they are processed into recycled plastics and combined with natural fibers to still meet the strength requirements of the chassis.

These recycled plastics are mainly recycled PET bottles. PET bottles can be recycled no more than 10 times, so using them in automobiles can greatly extend their life. After all, ten cars are more durable than ten plastic bottles.

Luca's body is made of recycled ABS plastic. ABS is a hard plastic that is often used to make consumer products such as toys, televisions, and kitchenware. After these ABS products are recycled and processed, the refined ABS recycled particles can be used for the molding of car bodies.

It is worth noting that the yellow color of the car body is not made by conventional spray paint, but by a layer of colored film. This layer of film can be torn off directly without leaving any residue, which helps ensure the purity of the body plastic and makes the recycling process of body plastic easier. The side windows and rear windows are also made of recycled materials.

Car interiors are also almost made of waste materials. For example, the driver’s seat is equipped with two very comfortable custom-made chairs. The seat cushion is made of coconut wool and horse hair, and the fabric on the seat is made of recycled PET, but it looks and feels like suede.

The center console has also added plastic additives extracted from domestic waste. In addition, small pieces of flax and marine plastic, which are left over from the production process of Luca cars, are pressed into fashionable and useful plates.