DocM Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 When I was a kid on the farm Ford bought most of our soy beans to make plastic knobs etc. out of the oil, then they'd sell the rest for consumption. http://m.detnews.com/topstories/article?a=2014306100056&f=1207 Ford Motor Co. and ketchup-maker H.J. Heinz Co. are collaborating on research that could make dried tomato skins a part of your next car. The iconic American companies say dried tomato skins could be turned into a composite material for wiring brackets or the storage bin that holds coins and other small objects in future Ford vehicles. "We are exploring whether this food-processing byproduct makes sense for an automotive application," Ellen Lee, Ford's plastics research technical specialist, said in a statement. According to a joint news release, scientists at both companies believe they can use tomato fibers to manufacture composite materials instead of petroleum-based plastics. Ford started working with Heinz, Coca-Cola Co., Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble two years ago to develop 100-percent plant-based plastic that could be used to make fabric and packaging to lower environmental impact when compared to the current petroleum-based packaging materials. Heinz processes 2 million tons of tomatoes every year and was looking for a way to reuse -- and not waste -- the skins from those tomatoes. Ford already uses coconut-based composite materials, recycled cotton material in its carpet and seat fabrics, and soy foam seat cushions and head rests, to name a few. Crisp 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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