PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2012

PET - THE NEXT GENERATION 36 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 03/12 www.petpla.net Ford’s boost to PET reuse “Reduce, reuse and recycle” Auto manufacturer Ford Motor Company has announced plans to divert around two million post- consumer plastic bottles from landfill through the use of Repreve fabrics, made by Unifi Inc. The first Ford vehicle to feature Repreve will be the 2012 Focus Elec- tric, which will be equipped with seat fabrics made from a hybrid blend of recycled plastic bottles and post-con- sumer waste. It is Ford’s first all-electric passenger car and started production in Decem- ber 2011 at Michigan Assem- bly Plant in Wayne, Mich. The Repreve seat fabric is a poly- ester fibre made from a hybrid blend of recycled materials, including post- industrial and post-consumer waste. The technology meets Ford’s design and comfort requirements and the fabrics for each car will include about 22 recycled PET bottles. Ford says that it is committed to developing and producing vehicles with good fuel effi- ciency and, at the same time, aims to achieve at least 25% clean technology in interior materials, across its entire range. “The Focus Electric highlights this commitment as Ford’s first gaso- line-free vehicle, and the first in the automotive industry to use Repreve branded fabric,” said Carol Kordich, lead designer of Sustainable Mate- rials for Ford. However, the rate of PET bottle recycling in the USA is only 29%, which is less than half the European level. The two companies are addressing this issue by seeking to raise awareness and boost col- lections. They will collect bottles at various events throughout the year,