Ford Engine Part Made from Recycled Carpet

In 2010, Ford (NYSE:F) began using a first-of-its-kind recycled content automotive part in some of its most popular vehilces.

The automaker is using cylinder head covers made from a nylon resin containing 100% recycled carpet. Using the the material–called EcoLon–diverted 4.1 million pounds of carpet from landfills (enough to cover 154 football fields) and saved 430,000 gallons of crude oil that would have been used to make the head covers.

The cover is the first automotive product of its kind manufactured from post-consumer recycled nylon, Ford said. The recycled content automotive part is just the latest from Ford, which has begun using recycled yarn seat covers and recycled blue jeans for sound dampening in recent years.

The EcoLon material is made by Wellman Engineering Resins, and the cylinder head covers are manufactured by Dana Holding Corporation.

The cylinder head covers are used on the 3.0-liter Duratec engine in Ford Fusion and Escape. They can also be found on the 5.0-liter engine, which powers Mustang and F-150.

"We didn’t have to make compromises for this application," said Roy Ford, Ford engine sealing supervisor. "With a fixed raw material cost that delivers cost savings compared to oil, along with the green benefit, this application adds to the ways Ford is minimizing our impact on the environment."