Jaguar Land Rover to use plastic waste in its interiors

IN a bid to offer a wider choice of responsibly sourced materials with the same luxurious feel but with a reduced environmental impact, next-generation Land Rover models will feature floor mats and trims made from plastic waste.

Working with econyl® nylon JLR is recycling industrial plastic, fabric off cuts from clothing manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry and those abandoned in the ocean, helping to make environments safer and cleaner while offering customers a premium, sustainable and hard-wearing option.

For those that don’t know, the econyl® regenerated nylon is created by Aquafil who work in the synthetic fibres industry and used by high-end fashion, sportswear and luxury watch brands. In a single year, the company recycles as much as 40,000 tonnes of waste, with the recycling process reducing the global warming impact of nylon by 90 per cent compared with the material produced from oil.

For every 10,000 tonnes of econyl® raw material that is produced, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved and 65,100 tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent are avoided. That’s impressive.

The process will obviously help JLR on its journey towards a circular economy as part of Destination Zero, but the benefits are felt by customers too, at least. For those that can’t afford a brand-new Land Rover we’ll obviously be suffering the guilt of sitting on the hide of an animal that is as carbon-neutral as a Boeing airplane.