Last Tuesday, Ford Motor Company and H.J. Heinz Company announced that they will look into using the ketchup maker's tomato fiber to make sustainable bio-plastic materials for the automobile maker.

According to a press release by Ford, the companies will conduct research to see if there is a way to use tomatoes to make sustainable materials for car manufacturing. Of particular interest are dried tomato skins, which the two entities suspect could be used in either Ford cars' wiring brackets or in storage bins placed in Ford cars for things like coins and other knickknacks.

"We are exploring whether this food-processing byproduct makes sense for an automotive application," Ellen Lee, plastics research technical specialist for Ford, said in the statement. "Our goal is to develop a strong, lightweight material that meets our vehicle requirements while at the same time reducing our overall environmental impact."

Ford and Heinz working together is not new: About two years ago Ford began a collaboration with Heinz, as well as The Coca-Cola Company, Nike Inc. and Procter & Gamble, to find an alternative to the petroleum-based materials used in things like fabric and packaging. Researchers at Heinz hoped to accomplish this through use of recycled and repurposed tomato peels, stems and seeds as the company reportedly uses over two million tons of tomatoes a year to make its popular ketchup.

"We are delighted that the technology has been validated," Vidhu Nagpal, associate director, packaging R&D for Heinz, said. "Although we are in the very early stages of research and many questions remain, we are excited about the possibilities this could produce for both Heinz and Ford and the advancement of sustainable 100 percent plant-based plastics."

According to Triple Pundit, the announcement is just the latest eco-friendly research effort by Ford. The company has also reportedly investigated the use of feathers.

The press release notes that Ford started using rice-hull filled electrical cowl brackets and reinforcing console components with cellulose fibers last year. The company also boasts the use of coconut-based composite materials, recycled cotton for seating and carpet fabrics and soy for making foam seats and head cushions.
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Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

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