Jaguar Land Rover are working with ECONYL® to develop high quality materials which will help to minimise waste during vehicle production.

Future Jaguar and Land Rover models will feature floor mats and trims made from yarns produced using ocean plastic and landfill waste.

This will generate the next generation of luxury interiors that will be created from responsibly sourced and recycled materials.

Steve Kenchington, General Manager, Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand says “I’m proud to be a part of such a progressive and modern brand that is consistently looking for new ways to improve on current design and manufacturing process of vehicles. The introduction of the ECONYL® nylon is a step in the right direction to help minimise waste during vehicle production without jeopardising the luxuriousness of our product. We can already see sustainable options through a range of our vehicles including Kvadrat a durable textile made from plastic bottles, an option in the I-PACE, Evoque and Range Rover models.”

Project Overview

ECONYL® is a process in which waste taken from landfills and oceans around the world is transformed into ECONYL® regenerated nylon by a company called Aquafil. Examples of the type of waste which can be used for this process include recycled industrial plastic, fabric offcuts from clothing manufacturers, and lost or abandoned fishing nets – known as ‘ghost nets’. The material produced is the same as new nylon and can be recycled, recreated and remoulded over and over again making it a sustainable material choice.

Jaguar Land Rover is working with Aquafil to investigate how ECONYL® could be used to develop high-quality accessories made from ocean and landfill waste. Future Jaguar and Land Rover models will feature in floor mats and trims made from yarns produced using ocean plastic and landfill waste. This commitment to designing sustainable luxury interiors using responsibly sourced and recycled materials is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero mission, with innovation helping to make environments safer and cleaner while offering customers a sustainable – but still premium – option.

Jaguar Land Rover was certified for the second consecutive year by the Carbon Trust earlier this year, confirming business operations have met the internationally recognised standard for carbon neutrality, known as PAS 2060. Jaguar Land Rover has also already reduced its global vehicle manufacturing operating CO2 by 70 per cent per vehicle since 2007 and remains committed to an ongoing decarbonisation process. This is all part of the company’s journey to Destination Zero.

Destination Zero

Destination Zero is Jaguar Land Rover’s ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner. Delivered through relentless innovation to adapt its products and services to the rapidly-changing world, our company’s focus is on achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.

About ECONYL®

ECONYL® is processed in state-of-the-art treatment centres, the waste is analysed, treated and prepared to feed into a chemical plant, where the nylon waste is broken to its original raw material using a chemical treatment process, known as depolymerization. The raw nylon material is then turned into the yarn, known as ECONYL®. Other by-products – such as non-nylon or metallic materials, like copper sulphate which is used to clean fishing nets, are removed and sent to alternative suppliers and repurposed in other external industries to further help closed loop manufacturing by giving these materials a second, or even third, life.

The resulting nylon polymer has the same chemical and performance characteristics as raw fossil material, allowing it to be processed into a carpet flooring and textile yarn. This yarn can then be used to manufacture floor mats for future Jaguars and Land Rovers with the goal of using more environmentally conscious and sustainable materials while still providing customers with a premium and hardwearing product.

In a single year, Aquafil recycles as much as 40,000 tonnes of waste, with the recycling process reducing the global warming impact of nylon by 90 per cent compared with the material produced from oil. The company has also recovered close to 4,000 tons of post-consumer goods which would have otherwise been discarded in the natural environment. For every 10,000 tonnes of ECONYL® raw material produced, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved, and 65,1000 tonnes of CO2 eq. emissions are avoided.

ECONYL® has already been used by high-end fashion, sportswear and luxury watch brands to create handbags, backpacks, swimwear and watch straps.

For further information, please contact:
Morgan Banks

PR and Events Executive

morgan.banks@jaguarlandrover.co.nz