Ford Motor Company is working with Heinz to utilize sustainable Materials for Cars

Jun 12, 2014

Could your vehicle’s wiring be made from Tomato skins?

Could tomato fibres be used to develop sustainable, composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing? Researchers at Ford and Heinz think so. In particular, they believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in a Ford vehicle or the storage bin a Ford customer uses to hold coins and other small objects. Both companies are working together on this innovative idea.

The companies are looking into the use of tomato fibre to develop a more sustainable bio-plastic material for vehicles. The material is currently being tested by Ford, to see if it is sufficiently durable. The research is important to the motor vehicle company because composite materials based on fruits and vegetables could be used to reduce the use of petrochemicals in manufacturing and reduce the impact of vehicles on the environment.

“We are exploring whether this food processing by-product makes sense for an automotive application,” said Ellen Lee, plastics research technical specialist for Ford. “Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”

According to Ford’s website, it began working with companies such as Heinz and Coca-Cola Company, to speed up the development of a 100 percent plant-based plastic. Heinz scientists, for example, were already investigating innovative ways to recycle and repurpose 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.

“We are delighted that the technology has been validated,” said Vidhu Nagpal, associate director, packaging R&D for Heinz. “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% plant-based plastics.”

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