Recycled waste is kitting out Jaguar and Land Rover interiors

Carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to bring features made from the 100 per cent recycled nylon, ECONYL, to its vehicle interiors. The material is essentially made from ocean and landfill waste.

Upcoming models of the carmaker's Jaguar and Land Rover brands will feature floor mats and trims made from ECONYL fibers. The material is made by the firm Aquafil using recycled industrial plastic, fabric offcuts from clothing manufacturers, as well as retired fishing nets and "ghost nets" recovered from the sea. This type of nylon is already used to make handbags, swimwear and watch straps.

Aquafil recycles up to 40,000 tonnes of waste each year. Producing 10,000 tonnes of raw ECONYL material reportedly saves some 70,000 barrels of crude oil and 65,100 tonnes of carbon emissions equivalent. According to Jaguar Land Rover, the production of ECONYL nylon by Aquafil reduces the global warming impact of nylon by 90% compared with material produced from oil. This recycling process is part of the car manufacturer's ambitious Destination Zero program (zero CO2 emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion).

Jaguar Land Rover already uses a eucalyptus textile in its Range Rover Evoque interior, while other models come with features in Kvadrat (a material made with recycled plastic bottles).