Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has teamed up with Dow MobilityScience and seat manufacturer Adient to create prototype car seats using Renuva repolyol, a material derived from polyurethane foam sourced from recycled vehicles.
This collaboration represents a significant advancement towards achieving circularity in automotive seating, as it marks the first successful utilization of closed-loop seat foam content in automotive manufacturing. Laboratory tests have shown that it is technically feasible to incorporate 20% closed-loop repolyol content in the seat foam, with plans to increase this percentage in the future. The recycled foam will be part of a new “circular seat” design that is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by half while maintaining performance, potentially eliminating over 44kg of CO2 per seat, equivalent to charging nearly 3,000 smartphones.
JLR is currently in the process of integrating the recycled material into its full production cycle and aims to test its application in pre-production vehicles by early 2025. This initiative stems from the ongoing research conducted at JLR’s Circularity Lab in Gaydon, Warwickshire, which focuses on waste reduction and enhancing vehicle recyclability. The Circularity Lab brings together teams from sustainability, engineering, procurement, and design, along with suppliers and materials experts, to address challenges related to reusing and recycling mixed materials within vehicles.
Jon Penrice, President of Dow Mobility, emphasized the importance of the collaboration in driving sustainable mobility through advanced material science. He highlighted Dow’s commitment to sustainability through the RENUVA program, which converts End of Life waste into new raw circular materials to meet recycled content targets. The depolymerization closed-loop recycling solution developed in partnership with Adient and JLR ensures that the recycled materials maintain the superior comfort and quality of JLR seats while supporting net-zero carbon emissions and circularity goals.
Overall, this partnership between JLR, Dow, and Adient exemplifies the industry’s dedication to innovation and sustainability in automotive manufacturing. By leveraging recycled materials and advanced technologies, the companies are paving the way for a more environmentally friendly and efficient future in the automotive industry.
