Serious Sustainability: Ford's Use of Recycled Material in Fabric, Furthers Industry-Changing Efforts

With the new Fusion, Ford is the first automaker to use fabrics made of recycled materials in vehicles sold around the world
Globally, Ford uses 41 fabrics with recycled content across 15 vehicle programs, up from one fabric with recycled yarns in one vehicle in 2008
All new North American vehicle programs require at least 25 percent of the fabric consisting of recycled yarns
Ford's requirement for recycled content in fabric played a major role in one supplier's ability to accelerate development of products using sustainable material

DUBAI, UAE, 04^th June, 2013

Ford is serious about sustainability, and is taking great strides to spearhead the industry with its green actions, achieving efficiencies that are leading to waste reduction and using recycled material.

Take for example, the new Ford Fusion. It is the first global vehicle program from any automaker to use seat fabric made from recycled material, with the potential to recycle enough plastic bottles and post-industrial waste to make 1.5 million yards of fabric annually. That's equivalent to between 800,000 and 900,000 yards in North America when Fusion is in full production.

Fusion is the latest example of the Ford commitment to use recycled material whenever possible. In North America, for instance, Ford has increased use of recycled yarns from zero in 2007 to nearly 66 percent of vehicle programs for 2013.

Overall, Ford uses 41 fabrics across 15 vehicle lines globally - from Mustang and Fiesta to F-150 and Taurus.

"The fabric being used in Fusion truly illustrates Ford's commitment to sustainability, regardless of any geographical borders," says Robert Brown, vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering. "Anytime we can connect our supply and suppliers with sustainability, we're headed in the right direction on our commitment to help better the world."

Ford's use of sustainable fabrics is growing as the company continues adding global vehicle programs, implementing sustainable material standards on new vehicles, and identifying quality global recycled yarn suppliers, says Carol Kordich, Ford lead designer of sustainable materials. She says the idea is one day to have all Ford fabrics consist of recycled material.

The global launch of the all-new Fusion shows the goal is attainable and that Ford is all-in on an eco-conscious way of doing business.

Since the 2009 model year, any new seat fabric used in Ford vehicles must contain at least 25 percent recycled material.

"As new ideas and technologies emerge, processes evolve and volumes increase with other automakers following Ford's lead, the costs of developing sustainable fabrics will likely drop," Kordich says. "When that happens, Ford will likely consider requiring an even higher percentage of recycled material content in its fabric."

Some of Ford's most advanced vehicles already have fabrics with as much as 100 percent recycled content as Ford extends the eco-conscious aspects of such vehicles beyond their powertrains.

Serious about sustainability
Still, high costs remained an issue. Kordich worked with suppliers Unifi and Sage on a plan: Unifi would provide REPREVE to Sage, which would use the yarn to make seat fabric and sell any waste (trimmings, bad dye lots, etc.) back to Unifi for reprocessing. Ford would also help collect clear, plastic water bottles and send them back to the REPREVE^® Recycling Center. Ford is in the midst of a campaign to help collect and send 2 million plastic bottles to Unifi. Each Fusion contains the equivalent of up to about 40 clear, plastic bottles.

Kordich's solution closed the waste loop, kept costs neutral, and gave Ford a competitive advantage by offering a product that supported its commitment to quality.

Fusion leads the way
Ford uses a total of 41 fabrics from a handful of various suppliers across 15 vehicle programs that vary by pattern, level of recycled content and purpose.

The amount of recycled material in each vehicle varies depending on region. In North America, 100 percent of the seat fabric in Fusion Hybrid contains recycled material.

"We are off to a good start," Kordich says." But it's only the beginning of our corporate vision."

"It is exciting to see Ford take a leadership position in the use of sustainable materials, supporting the efforts of supplier design and development teams to use more recycled materials," said Larry Prein, Ford Middle East's managing director. "In the Middle East region, Ford takes this a bit further by actively supporting sustainable projects through the Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants. Again, for this year, we are making a total of USD100,000 available as grants to help fund grass-root level initiatives from non-profit organisations based in the GCC, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. In its 14^th consecutive year, this programme has so far helped develop over 150 projects with a total of USD1.3m granted to date."

The Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants programme is accepting applications via Ford Middle East's Facebook page until 1 July 2013.

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 175,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com

Ford's history in the Middle East goes back more than 60 years. The company's local importer-dealers operate more than 155 facilities in the region and directly employ more than 7,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals. For more information on Ford Middle East, please visit www.me.ford.com

Ford Middle East is also a responsible corporate citizen with currently three CSR initiatives running in the region including the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, Ford Warriors in Pink® breast cancer awareness campaign and Ford Driving Skills for Life safe driving awareness programme for young drivers and teens.

The Ford Grants is a grass-root level initiative that has offered US$1.3million in grants to more than 150 Middle Eastern environmental projects since 2000. Ford Warriors in Pink® is a breast cancer community-based awareness initiative recognising the strength and courage it takes to deal with the everyday challenges of battling breast cancer throughout the year. Ford Driving Skills for Life is a free programme designed to impart safe driving practices to students to help improve their road safety record.

Contacts:
Sue Nigoghossian
Ford Middle East Public Affairs

Chloe Martinez
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller

Feda Kassem
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller

971-4-3327767
971-4-4507600
971-4-4507600

snigogho@ford.com
chloe.martinez@bm.com
feda.kassem@bm.com