Fueling your car with tequila would probably improve its performance (at least it wouldn’t refuse to start on a cold morning), but even using cheaper stuff would probably cost about $80 or more per gallon. Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) and tequila maker Jose Cuervo may have come up with a way to put that happy face on your car and do something to help the environment.
The two companies have teamed up to find a use for the agave plant byproduct generated from distilling tequila. The idea is to use the parts of the plant that are left behind after it has been ground and its juice extracted for something besides compost.
In an announcement made Tuesday, the companies said that they are testing the agave waste as a source for car parts made from bioplastics, a term for biodegradable plastics derived from renewable biomass as opposed to petroleum. Ford and Cuervo are testing the material for use in vehicle interior and exterior components such as wiring harnesses, heating and ventilating units, and storage bins.
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The announcement touts the amount of biomass waste that could be put to work:
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 5 billion metric tons of agricultural biomass waste is produced annually. A byproduct of agriculture, the supply of materials is abundant and often underutilized. Yet the materials can be relatively low cost, and can help manufacturers to offset the use of glass fibers and talc for more sustainable, lightweight products.
A typical car contains about 400 pounds of plastic, according to a Ford researcher. The company says it currently uses eight sustainable-based materials in its vehicles: soy foam, castor oil, wheat straw, kenaf fiber, cellulose, wood, coconut fiber and rice hulls.
Ford has posted a short video that illustrates the process.
Adding agave fibers to that list would do more than just help Ford reach its sustainability goals. It makes tequila drinkers environmentalists by default. They don’t have to do anything else except keep doing what they do. A true win-win.
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