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Ford has just entered a partnership with H.J. Heinz Company, known worldwide for their ketchup, in order to investigate the possibility of turning tomatos into so-called bioplastics, a material made using renewable biomass instead of petroleum.
More specifically, Heinz can provide large quantities of tomato skins left over from its operations, which Ford wants to use for hidden-away elements of our future cars, such as wiring brackets and or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.
And no, these car parts will not be as red as tomatoes, nor will new car smell include a whiff of dry ketchup.
Currently, Heinz alone uses about 2 million tons of tomatoes to make its products every year, so the potential of the idea is huge. If Ford succeeds, it will not only reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, which everybody knows will eventually run out, but also decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are exploring whether this food processing by-product makes sense for an automotive application,” said Ellen Lee, Ford plastics research specialist. “Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”
The use of bioplastics has grown over the past years. If you've recently taken laminated pills, there's a good chance they were made from corn starch. Heinz is part of the Coca Cola group and a few years ago they announced they would be putting ketchup in bottles made partially from the parent company's sugar cane leftovers.
Ford is also keen on conventional recycling. In the past, the automaker has worked with Procter & Gamble and Coca Cola, manufacturing seat backs, door panel inserts and seat cushions from these companies' byproduct. Wonder if they'll ever approach Mentos...
And no, these car parts will not be as red as tomatoes, nor will new car smell include a whiff of dry ketchup.
Currently, Heinz alone uses about 2 million tons of tomatoes to make its products every year, so the potential of the idea is huge. If Ford succeeds, it will not only reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, which everybody knows will eventually run out, but also decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are exploring whether this food processing by-product makes sense for an automotive application,” said Ellen Lee, Ford plastics research specialist. “Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements, while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact.”
The use of bioplastics has grown over the past years. If you've recently taken laminated pills, there's a good chance they were made from corn starch. Heinz is part of the Coca Cola group and a few years ago they announced they would be putting ketchup in bottles made partially from the parent company's sugar cane leftovers.
Ford is also keen on conventional recycling. In the past, the automaker has worked with Procter & Gamble and Coca Cola, manufacturing seat backs, door panel inserts and seat cushions from these companies' byproduct. Wonder if they'll ever approach Mentos...
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