JLR Breaks Ground with Recycled Seat Foam Innovation

JLR achieves an automotive milestone by creating closed-loop recycled seat foam, reducing emissions and waste while advancing sustainability for its luxury vehicles.

Gaydon, UK – November 27, 2024 — JLR has achieved an industry first by creating luxury vehicle seat foam using closed-loop recycled polyurethane, marking a significant breakthrough in automotive sustainability. Developed in collaboration with Dow and Adient, the foam will undergo production-scale testing in early 2025.

Polyurethane seat foam, known for its durability and recycling challenges, often ends up in landfills. JLR’s closed-loop process reintegrates foam from used vehicles into new seats, cutting emissions and waste while securing a sustainable supply chain. The new “circular seat” design is estimated to halve CO2 emissions, avoiding up to 44kg of CO2e per seat—the equivalent of charging nearly 3,000 smartphones.

Andrea Debbane, JLR’s Chief Sustainability Officer, hailed the collaboration as a “collective commitment to rethink and innovate,” emphasizing the importance of cross-industry partnerships in overcoming sustainability challenges.

The breakthrough stems from JLR’s Circularity Lab in Gaydon, which tackles material recoverability, reusability, and recyclability. Through its Reimagine strategy, JLR is embedding circular economy principles into all aspects of its operations as it transitions to an all-electric future.

Key Collaborations Driving Sustainability:

Dow: Through its RENUVA™ program, Dow provides advanced chemical recycling processes, converting end-of-life materials into new raw materials while maintaining quality and comfort.
Adient: A leader in automotive seating, Adient integrates closed-loop materials into its products, ensuring luxury and sustainability coexist.

The Circularity Lab’s efforts extend beyond seat foam. For instance, tests on bumpers achieved the same quality with fewer polymers, saving 177,500 kg of CO2e and £560,000 per model line. This follows JLR’s award-winning project in closed-loop aluminum recycling.

As an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network Partner since 2023, JLR continues to pioneer sustainable practices, aiming for a resource-efficient, waste-free future. This innovation underscores the company’s commitment to environmental leadership while delivering premium vehicle performance.

Source: JLR Achieves Industry First with Breakthrough in Recycled Seat Foam Innovation

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