At Randall Reed’s Planet Ford in Humble, Texas all know that recycling helps the environment, but what happens to all those plastic water bottles once they’re recycled? Well if you buy a Ford, you are helping drive change in how we recycle!
Ford Motor Co. is being innovative again in their approach to helping the environment by using recycled plastic bottles for underbody shields on all cars and SUVs, and wheel liners on F-Series trucks.
Recycled Parts
The underbody shield is a large part on vehicles and if the company was to use solid plastic, the part would nearly three times as much which would cut into the aerodynamics.
“We look for the most durable and highest performing materials to work with to make our parts, and in this case, we are also creating many environmental benefits,” said Thomas Sweder, design engineer, Ford Motor Company.
Ford uses about 1.2 billion recycled plastic bottles per year – about 250 bottles per vehicle on average.
Picture This
You put a plastic bottle into a recycling bin that is collected with thousands of others to be shredded into small pieces. The pieces are typically sold to suppliers who turn it into a fiber, by melting the bottle and extruding it. Those fibers are mixed together with other various types of fiber in a textile process and used to make a sheet of material – which is formed into the automotive parts.
Unlike solid plastic, recycle plastic is much lighter, which is ideal for the manufacture of underbody shields, engine under shield and front and rear wheel arch liners that can help improve vehicle aerodynamics. Not only that, but these shields also help create a significantly quieter environment on the all-new 2020 Ford Escape.
“Ford is among the leaders when it comes to using recycled materials such as this, and we do it because it makes sense technically and economically as much as it makes sense for the environment,” Sweder said. “This material meets all of our robust specifications for durability and performance.”
Ready for your new SUV or truck that is hauling new recycling ways on board? Visit Planet Ford on Hwy. 59 in Humble (serving greater Houston, Kingwood, Atascocita, Conroe, Tomball) or shop online anytime at PlanetFord59.com!