JLR car interiors are to be made from recycled waste plastic from oceans

Future Jaguar Land Rovers will have interiors made from recycled waste plastic recovered from oceans

  • British vehicle manufacturer has teamed up with Italian-nylon maker Aquaful
  • It will used Econyl materials in its new cars which is recycled waste products
  • The nylon is created from ocean plastic and landfill waste from around the world
  • Floor mats and interior trims for future models will be made from the materials

British car maker Jaguar Land Rover will use materials made from recycled ocean plastic and landfill waste for the cabins of its future models as part of its brand-wide sustainability project.

Floor mats and interior trims made with Econyl fibre, which is constructed from recycled industrial plastic, fabric off-cuts from clothing manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry, and those abandoned in the ocean– known as ghost nets. 

Jaguar Land Rover says the efforts are part of its ‘Destination Zero’ mission, with the use of the patented yarn said to reduce the environmental impact when making traditional nylon fabrics.

Recycled off-roaders: Land Rover and Jaguar models will have interiors made from recycled waste products as part of the British firm’s sustainability efforts

The vehicle manufacturer has partnered with Italian fibre and polymer company, Aquaful, in its bid to increase the use of products in its cars that ‘make environments safer and cleaner while offering customers a premium, sustainable option’.

The ‘regenerated nylon’ material is already used by high-end fashion, sportswear and luxury watch brands to create handbags, backpacks, swimwear and watch straps.

The nylon waste that goes into the fabric is reclaimed from all over the world. 

In a single year, the company claims to recycle as much as 40,000 tonnes of waste, with the process of re-purposing it into a usable material reducing the global warming impact of nylon by 90 per cent compared with the material produced from oil. 

For every 10,000 tonnes produced, the Italian brand says 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved and 65,100 tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent are avoided.

Floor mats and interior trims made with Econyl fibre, which is constructed out of recycled industrial plastic, fabric off-cuts from clothing manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry, and those abandoned in the ocean– known as ghost nets (pictured)

Floor mats and interior trims made with Econyl fibre, which is constructed out of recycled industrial plastic, fabric off-cuts from clothing manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry, and those abandoned in the ocean– known as ghost nets (pictured)

It won’t be the first time the material is used in vehicles, with BMW using it as part of its recycled interiors for the i3 electric and hybrids models since 2016.

It has also been incorporated by Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and features in Porsche’s new electric Taycan sports cars. 

Jaguar and Land Rover said the ‘more environmentally conscious and sustainable materials’ will providing customers with a ‘premium and hardwearing product’ while also helping to reduce the company’s impact on the environment.

Adrian Iles, senior engineer of interior systems at JLR, said: ‘Minimising waste, re-using materials and reducing carbon emissions sits at the heart of our Destination Zero mission. 

‘This pioneering materials research is one of the key ways we’ll achieve this and is an integral part of our design offering to our customers.’ 

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