It’s a commonly known fact that new cars are built to adhere to strict emissions and lower fuel economy requirements, but did you now that some cars have certain features in their design that are also better for the environment?

Clever sustainable materials

We reviewed the BMW i3 EV back in 2015 and were very impressed. The quirky city car won the 2014 World Green Car of the Year and here’s why.

Manufactured using sustainable materials, from plastic panels made from recycled milk bottles to eucalyptus wood derived from 100 per cent certified regenerating forests planted in close proximity to the production plant. This ensured shorter supply channels which assisted sustainability in the production stage.

Even the leather upholstery uses a natural tanning agent derived from olive leaves, and the manufacturing plant is powered by hydro and wind turbine-produced power to reduce BMW’s overall carbon footprint.

To ensure holistic sustainability, the car is designed so that almost everything that goes into the production of it can be recycled.

Climate-neutral ambition

Swedish manufacturer Volvo has the ambition to become a climate-neutral company by 2040.

In April 2019, Volvo was recognised for its sustainability ambitions at the annual Plastics Recycling Awards Europe, winning a prestigious award for a specially-built version of its XC60 SUV, which contained high levels of recycled plastics.

To demonstrate the viability of its recycled plastics ambition, a special version of its XC60 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid SUV was manufactured, that looks identical to the existing model, but had several of its plastic components replaced with greener equivalents.

Recycling ingenuity

Volvo's shorter term ambition is that from 2025, at least 25 per cent of the plastics used in every newly launched Volvo car will be made from recycled material. It is the most progressive statement on the use of recycled plastic by any premium carmaker and highlights Volvo Cars’ commitment to reducing its impact on the environment, as well as a more circular approach to the development of its cars.

For example, the car’s interior has a tunnel console made from renewable fibres and plastics made from discarded fishing nets and maritime ropes. On the floor, the carpet contains fibres made from PET plastic bottles and a recycled cotton mix from clothing manufacturers’ offcuts. The seats also use PET fibres from plastic bottles. Even used car seats from old Volvo cars were used to create the sound-absorbing material underneath the car’s bonnet.

Other sustainable initiatives being used by manufacturers in vehicle production

• Toyota: Toyota has made seat cushion material, radiator tanks and other components from bioplastics that use glycol from renewable sugar cane instead of petroleum-derived glycol
• Ford: Some Ford models use soy-based foam in headliners, castor-oil foam in instrument panels, bioplastic in door panels, and nylon resin from recycled carpets in cylinder head covers. Some seals and gaskets are made with soy oils and recycled tires, and seat fabrics are made out of recycled plastic bottles
• Volkswagen: Volkswagen uses cotton fibre in floor insulation, cardboard in the cargo area floor, as well as flax, hemp, cellulose, cotton and kenaf
• Honda: Recycled plastics are used to create seat fabric and plant-based starches are used on seats
• Hyundai: Hyundai interiors are made from bio-plastics and wood cellulose (fibre) and headrest foam pads made of bio-polyurethane