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As a snack or processed in oil and tapenades: the fruit of olive trees has many uses. Not so the branches, twigs and leaves of the tree. Although they turn out to be very suitable for making durable car parts.

Using residual material from the olive harvest, Ford made footrests and parts for the luggage compartment. | Credit: Ford

Ford discovered that. The parts of olive trees that would normally be discarded and burned are being used by the automaker to produce more sustainable parts. This allows the company to partially replace the share of plastic with natural materials.

Mix

For the experiment, waste materials were collected from various olive groves in Andalusia, the Spanish region with the highest production of olive oil in the world. Ford then investigated the usability of the olive trees by testing them for durability, strength and malleability. After positive results, the first prototypes were made. These consisted of 40 percent olive tree fiber and 60 percent recycled plastic. The mix was heated and put into the production molds of the selected part.

"To arrive at the right mix, we had to experiment with different ratios of waste material and polypropylene. These experiments ultimately enabled us to produce a material that does not compromise on strength, durability or flexibility," said Thomas Baranowski of Ford.

Footrests and luggage space

Ford used the leftover material from the olive harvest to make footrests and luggage compartment components. Tests show that the material is strong and also more durable. The manufacturer is now looking at whether the manufacturing process can be used on a large scale in the production of its electric cars.

More sustainable interior

The project ran from 2020 to 2023, proving that this residual flow from olive cultivation can make car interiors more sustainable. Says project leader Inga Wehmeyer, "At Ford, we are always looking for ways to become more sustainable, and sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely places. By using the remnants of olive trees, we were able to replace a significant amount of materials currently made from petroleum. The sustainable fibers create a unique material surface and are immediately visible to our customers."

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