Toyota to increase 'ecological plastic' in vehicle interiors

There are basically two types of Ecological Plastic—that produced completely from plant-derived materials and that produced from a combination of plant- and petroleum-derived materials. Because plants play a role in either type, Ecological Plastic emits less CO2 during a product's lifecycle (from manufacture to disposal) than plastic made solely from petroleum it also helps reduce petroleum use.

Ecological Plastic adequately meets the heat-resistance and shock-resistance demands of vehicle interiors through the use of various compounding technologies,such as those allowing molecular-level bonding and homogeneous mixing of plant-derived and petroleum-derived raw materials. And being equal to conventional plastics in terms of quality and productivity means that it can be used in production vehicles.

TMC continues to develop various advanced technologies aimed at realizing sustainable mobility and believes that it is important to increase the availability of such technologies in the marketplace. As such, TMC became the first automaker in the world to use 100-percent plant-based plastics in production-vehicle interior parts when it launched the Japanese-market "Raum" in May 2003, featuring Ecological Plastic that used polylactic acid and other all-plant-based materials. TMC intends to pursue research and development and practical application that result in expanded use of Ecological Plastic in vehicle parts.

*Zero net CO₂ emissions over an entire product lifecycle

Reference: Ecological Plastic Application and Materials Used

*Non-food source