Expansion Management

Will Your Old Jeans End up in Ford's 2012 Focus?

Dec. 4, 2010

They could, since the company is using post-consumer cotton that comes from recycled blue jeans.

The cotton ends up in carpet backing and sound-absorption materials for the interior of the Focus.

Carrie Majeske, product sustainability manager at Ford Motor company says the company is continually looking for greener alternatives. "Right now the cotton that we use isn't something people would particularly want to look at so we use it on parts of the vehicle that are not visible, but it's very useful in noise insulation and sound deadening and softening things and it provides good padding , and using cotton eliminates us from using something that's petroleum based or potentially has to be mined or processed otherwise."

And this isn't the first time that Ford has used recycled materials in its cars. It uses recycled resins for underbody systems as well as recycled yarns to make seat covers.

"We have recycled content in a lot of the plastics, anything under the car that's black or under the hood that's black a lot of times will have recycled nylon in it. We have some nylon in the fabrics that comes from pop bottles, we have those types of materials and some of exterior panels, the plastic bumper, those types of things, so it's all over the car," she added.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko Blog | Senior Editor

Focus: Expansion Management & the Biotech & Life Sciences Industries

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Senior Editor Adrienne Selko manages IndustryWeek’s Expansion Management, delivering ideas and information about how successful manufacturers leverage location to gain competitive advantage. She explores the strategies behind why companies located their headquarters, research institutes, factories, warehouse and distribution centers and other facilities where they did, and how they benefit from the decision.

Adrienne is also the editorial coordinator of the IndustryWeek Expansion Management Roundtable events, which unites economic development professionals to network and discuss the latest trends in site location.

As well, Adrienne tells the stories of successful companies in the biotechnology and life sciences industries.

In the past, Adrienne has managed IndustryWeek’s award-winning website, overseeing eNewletters, webinars, and contributed content. Before joining the staff, Adrienne was managing editor of corporate publications at a large regional financial institution. She also ran a public relations and marketing company that published a best-selling healthcare book.

Adrienne received a bachelor’s of business administration from the University of Michigan and is especially interested in wellness and natural health.