See how #Ford and @JoseCuervo work together to give excess agave a second chance as potential car parts. #FarmToCarhttps://t.co/OmvRv11dSj
— Ford Drive Green (@FordDriveGreen) July 19, 2016
Ford is drawing on an age-old principle, and one your parents always used to repeat to you, to find materials for building new vehicles. Waste not, want not.
As Jose Cuervo® has grown over the last 220 years from a small family business to the largest tequila distributor in the world, its agave farming operations have also grown from a few plants, to millions. In the past, the agave fibers leftover once the plants have been squeezed for their juices were used in artisan crafts, or as fertilizer... but as the number of plants grows, so does the amount of byproduct.
There simply are not enough artisans in the world to use all that agave fiber!
Instead of letting it go to waste, Ford is seizing the opportunity to use this consistent source of fiber to made composite bioplastics, which could reduce the environmental impact of Ford's vehicles.
"There are about 400 pounds of plastic on a typical car," said Debbie Mielewski, senior technical leader of Ford's materials sustainability research. "Our job is to find the right place for a green composite like this to help our impact on the planet. It is work that I'm really proud of, and it could have broad impact across numerous industries."
Learn more about how driving Ford could help you lower your carbon footprint at First Choice Ford.