Adient, Jaguar Land Rover and Dow develop closed-loop polyurethane foam seats

Core Insights - Adient, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and Dow have collaborated to create seat foam for luxury vehicles using closed-loop recycled components, marking a significant advancement in the automotive industry towards a circular economy and reduced CO2 emissions [1][3]. Group 1: Environmental Impact and Innovation - The collaboration aims to mitigate the environmental effects of polyurethane (PU) foams in car seats by utilizing 'post-consumer' PU molded foams sourced from end-of-life vehicles, which are sorted and shredded to produce a new circular polyol [2]. - The Adient Front Seat Cushion prototypes currently incorporate 20% re-polyol derived from PU end-of-life vehicles, showcasing the integration of recycled materials into automotive seating [2][3]. Group 2: Industry Milestone and Future Steps - This initiative is recognized as the first instance of producing PU molded foam for seating applications under these sustainable conditions, positioning PU as central to a circular economy in the automotive sector [3]. - The companies plan to conduct further research to increase the percentage of re-polyol content and will test the closed-loop seat foam with JLR on a production scale starting in early 2025 [4]. Group 3: Statements from Key Executives - Frank Toenniges from Adient emphasized that developing components with closed-loop recycled foams is a major milestone and aims to enhance the proportion of recycled materials in seating systems [4]. - Andrea Debbane from JLR highlighted that this breakthrough exemplifies the automotive value chain's potential for achieving full circularity and driving significant sustainability changes [4]. Group 4: Company Overview - Adient is a global leader in automotive seating, employing over 70,000 individuals across 29 countries and operating more than 200 manufacturing and assembly plants worldwide [5].