Beanz Meanz More Eco-Friendly Future Fords

THE car industry is full of interesting and unusual business partnerships, but this latest tie-up between Ford and Heinz promises to be one of the more intriguing.

Far from seeking to produce 57 varieties of any particular new Ford model, the two firms are exploring the use of tomato fibre to develop a sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing.

For example, boffins believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in future Ford vehicles or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.

Commenting on the research, Ellen Lee, Ford plastics research specialist, said: “We are exploring whether this food processing by-product makes sense for an automotive application.

“Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”

Nearly two years ago, Ford began collaborating with Heinz, The Coca-Cola Company, Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble to accelerate development of a plant-based plastic to help reduce the petroleum-based materials currently in use.

At Heinz, researchers were looking for innovative ways to recycle peels, stems and seeds from the more than two million tons of tomatoes the company uses annually to produce its best-selling product, Heinz Ketchup.

Vidhu Nagpal, Heinz’s Research and Development associate director, said: “We are delighted that the technology has been validated. Although we are in the very early stages of research, and many questions remain, we are excited about the possibilities this could produce for both Heinz and Ford, and the advancement of sustainable 100 per cent plant-based plastics.”

Ford’s commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle is part of the company’s global sustainability strategy to lessen its environmental footprint, while accelerating development of fuel-efficient vehicle technology worldwide.

In recent years, Ford has increased its use of recycled non-metal and bio-based materials, such as rice hull-filled electrical cowl brackets and recycled cotton material for carpeting and seat fabrics, plus soy foam seat cushions and head restraints.

By Press Association reporters