Waste not, want not – JLR to use recycled plastic, fabric and fishing nets for mats and trims

Jaguar Land Rover is to use a special fibre made from ocean and landfill waste inside future models.

Floor mats and trims of next-generation vehicles will be made of Econyl nylon.

The synthetic fibre will hail from recycled industrial plastic, fabric offcuts from clothes manufacturers, fishing nets from the farming industry, and ‘ghost nets’ that have been abandoned in oceans.

JLR said it was part of its Destination Zero mission to help make environments cleaner and safer in a premium and sustainable way.

The regenerated nylon, created by Aquafil and pictured above, is already used by high-end fashion, sportswear and luxury watch brands.

JLR says that for every 10,000 tonnes of Econyl produced, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved and 65,100 tonnes of the equivalent carbon emissions are avoided.

In turn, this cuts the global warming impact of nylon by 90 per cent compared with the material produced from oil.

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A chemical treatment process breaks the nylon waste down into its original raw material, and this is then turned into the Econyl yarn, with other by-products removed and sent to alternative industries for recycling.

Adrian Iles, senior engineer of interior systems at Jaguar Land Rover, said: ‘Our designers and engineers are committed to developing the next generation of sustainable materials that will feature on future Jaguar and Land Rover models.

‘We place a great deal of focus on the creation of new sustainable materials, using the latest, most innovative techniques and textiles.

‘Minimising waste, reusing materials and reducing carbon emissions sits at the heart of our Destination Zero mission.

‘This pioneering materials research is one of the key ways we’ll achieve this and is an integral part of our design offering to our customers.’

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