2013 Ford Fusion incorporates recycled materials

Each new 2013 Ford Fusion incorporates recycled materials including two average-sized jeans, 38.9 recycled plastic bottles and around 31,250 soybeans.“Building vehicles with great fuel economy is our highest priority in reducing impact on the environment,” says Carrie Majeske, Ford product sustainability manager. “With every new product design, we also are charged with increasing the use of renewable and recyclable materials in our cars, utilities and trucks to reduce impact on the environment”.The amount of denim used in two pairs of jeans is used to deaden noise, vibrations and harshness (NVH) from the road, wind and the power train. The seats are covered with cloth made of post-industrial and post-consumption waste, such as clear plastic bottles. The foam used in seat cushions, seat backs and headrests is a sustainable material made from soybeans. Recycled plastic from car battery casings is used for fender splash shields and as protection on the underside of bodywork.“We are holistic in reducing our environmental footprint by utilizing post-industrial (blue jeans), post-consumer (battery cases) and sustainable materials technologies (soy foam),” Majeske says. “We do whatever makes the most sense for each application and environmentally from a lifecycle perspective”.