Ford Motor Co. is turning ocean debris into auto parts.
Ford says it’s the first automaker to recycle ocean-harvested plastics into parts for production vehicles. It’s using discarded nylon fishing nets, also called “ghost gear,” to make Bronco Sport wiring harness clips that the automaker says are as strong and durable as petroleum-based parts but cost 10 percent less and use less energy to produce.
“It is a strong example of circular economy, and while these clips are small, they are an important first step in our explorations to use recycled ocean plastics for additional parts in the future,” said Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s vice president of research and a Henry Ford technical fellow.
The clips weigh about 5 grams and fasten to the sides of the Bronco Sport’s second-row seats to guide wires that power side-curtain airbags. They’re made from material collected in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea by DSM Engineering Materials. DSM washes, dries and extrudes the plastic into small pellets, which are injection-molded by supplier HellermannTyton into the finished shape.
Ford plans to make additional parts — including transmission brackets, wire shields and floor side rails — out of ghost gear, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of all plastic waste in the world’s oceans.
“Developments like this do not come easy,” said Anisia Peterman, HellermannTyton’s automotive product manager, “so we are proud to collaborate with Ford in support of a unique product solution that contributes to healthier oceans.”