By combining recycled tires with bio-renewable content, Ford Motor Co. and Detroit-based supplier Recycled Polymeric Materials Inc. have turned more than 2.2 million pounds of rubber from recycled tires into seals and gaskets.
More than 210,000 used tires have been recycled and 150,000 pounds of soy has been used to create the materials, Ford said. The gaskets and seals come from 25% post-consumer particulate from recycled tires and 17% bio-renewable content from soy.
The seals also offer a weight savings, the automaker said, with more than 1,675 tons of weight removed from Ford vehicles on the road.
The gaskets were first introduced to Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford in 2008 and have been expanded into 11 of its vehicles, including 2011 models of the F-150, Escape, Mustang, Focus and Fiesta.
Source: Waste & Recycling News
By Shawn Wright