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Issues & Ideas: Ford is envisioning and implementing “farm-to-car” green initiatives

KCBX | By Tom Wilmer
Published April 18, 2018 at 11:18 AM PDT
Ford Research lab
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Ford Research lab
Thomas Wilmer
50% recycled PET poyol at Ford's R&D lab
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50% recycled PET poyol at Ford's R&D lab
Thoms Wilmer
Ford armrest made with recycled U.S. Currency and pellets
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Ford armrest made with recycled U.S. Currency and pellets
Ford Research & Innovation Center
Cellulose fiber composit Ford armrest
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Cellulose fiber composit Ford armrest
Ford Research & Innovation Center
Heinz tomatoe pulp recycled for use in Ford car plastic parts
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Heinz tomatoe pulp recycled for use in Ford car plastic parts
Ford Research & Innovation Center
Ford door panels made with organic compounds such as kenaf
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Ford door panels made with organic compounds such as kenaf
Ford Research & Innovation Center
2014 Ford Fusion seats made with recycled plastic bottles
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2014 Ford Fusion seats made with recycled plastic bottles
Ford Research & Innovation Center
shredded U.S. currency repurposed for use in composit parts for Ford vehicles
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shredded U.S. currency repurposed for use in composit parts for Ford vehicles
Ford Research & Innovation Center
example of sustainable renewable process
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example of sustainable renewable process
Ford Research & Innovation Center
Janice Tardiff in Ford's Research and Innovation lab in Dearborn, Michigan
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Janice Tardiff in Ford's Research and Innovation lab in Dearborn, Michigan
Thomas Wilmer
Ford F-150 Factory's green roof in Dearborn, Michigan
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Ford F-150 Factory's green roof in Dearborn, Michigan
Thomas Wilmer
Ford's Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan with 1,000 employees
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Ford's Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan with 1,000 employees
Thomas Wilmer
Iconic gateway to Ford's Research and Engineering Center
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Iconic gateway to Ford's Research and Engineering Center
Thomas Wilmer
Ford's gone Green and sustainable
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Ford's gone Green and sustainable
Ford Motor Company
Henry Ford, a visionary since the days of the Model T. Ford introduced soybean auto parts in the 1930's
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Henry Ford, a visionary since the days of the Model T. Ford introduced soybean auto parts in the 1930s
Thomas Wilmer
Janice Tardiff (Left) with Debbie Mielewski Ph.D in Ford's Research and Innovation Center lab
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Janice Tardiff (Left) with Debbie Mielewski Ph.D in Ford's Research and Innovation Center lab
Thomas Wilmer
F-150 engine at Ford's Rouge Plant Dearborn, Michigan
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F-150 engine at Ford's Rouge Plant Dearborn, Michigan
Thomas Wilmer
Ford has implemented a sustainable farm-to-car supply chain
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Ford has implemented a sustainable farm-to-car supply chain
2017 Ford F-150 XLT
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2017 Ford F-150 XLT
Ford Motor Company

Janice Tardiff (Left) Debbie Mielewski in their R&D lab at Ford's Research and Innovation Center, Dearborn Michigan
Credit THOMAS WILMER
Janice Tardiff (Left) Debbie Mielewski in their R&D lab at Ford's Research and Innovation Center, Dearborn Michigan

Your new Ford might just come equipped with repurposed U.S. currency, flax, wheat, agave fibers, and a litany of organic auto parts. 

Ford’s tenacious quest to utilize sustainable materials includes a brilliant farm-to-car supply chain that’s already in place at the Ontario, Canada Ford plant utilizing wheat-straw produced by local farmers. 

Janice Tardiff, Elastomeric Materials Technical Expert, and Deborah Mielewski Ph.D., take us on a tour at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center labs in Dearborn, Michigan. 

Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer NPR One, Apple Podcast album artJourneys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer NPR One, Apple Podcast album art
Credit Kornreich Design, San Luis Obispo California

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Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer winner of the Lowell Thomas Award 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013
Credit SATW Foundation
Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer winner of the Lowell Thomas Award 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013
Credit Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Underwriting support for Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer provided by Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Tags
Environment and Energy researchDetroitNPR OneFord Motor CompanyFarm to Car
Tom Wilmer
Tom Wilmer produces on-air content for Issues & Ideas airing over KCBX and is producer and host of the six-time Lowell Thomas award-winning NPR podcast Journeys of Discovery with Tom Wilmer. Recorded live on-location across America and around the world, the podcasts feature the arts, culture, music, nature, history, science, wine & spirits, brewpubs, and the culinary arts--everything from baseball to exploring South Pacific atolls to interviewing the real Santa Claus in the Arctic.
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