Agave By-Products Get a Second Chance at Ford Christine Birkner - Adweek
go to original July 19, 2016

A Shot of Sustainability: Ford is teaming up with Jose Cuervo to make car parts from agave (Ford Motor Company)

Environmentally conscious auto manufacturing just got a shot in the arm - or rather, a shot of tequila. Ford and Jose Cuervo are teaming up to turn agave plant byproduct from tequila into plastic cup holders, fuse boxes and wiring for Ford cars and trucks.

The project is part of Ford's #FarmtoCar campaign, an initiative that aims to replace petroleum-based plastics with plant-based materials in Ford's vehicles. Used agave fibers are shipped from Jose Cuervo's tequila fields in Mexico to Ford's plants in Dearborn, Mich., and Ford's researchers are testing the fibers' durability and heat resistance for use in wiring harnesses, storage bins and other car parts. The bioplastic made from the agave byproduct could reduce the weight of car parts, which would help improve fuel economy.

... Ford began researching the use of sustainable materials in vehicles in 2000. Over the past few years, it's also worked with Heinz to produce bioplastic material from tomato fibers and Coca-Cola to produce plant-based vehicle materials for car interiors.

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