New low-carbon car seat concept reduces emissions by 40%
Automotive supplier Yanfeng has developed a new sustainable seat – the Reco Seat, which reduces product carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to conventional seating.
The Reco Seat features several materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethan (PU) trim, recycled foam, thermoplastic foam, a green steel frame, a PET lightweight back panel, and hybrid cushion.
Utilizing innovative and recycled materials, the Reco Seat achieves significant reduction of product carbon emissions.
The PET PU seat cover is made from 100% recycled soft drink bottles, reducing product carbon emissions by more than 20%. The foam used in the Reco Seat for the seat and backrest is also environmentally friendly.
Recycled and thermoplastic foam are combined to provide improved seating comfort and support compared to conventional polyurethane foam. Furthermore, the use of industrial wastewater steam in the foam production and molding process significantly reduces energy consumption and emissions.
The use of up to 100% scrap steel as the raw material, together with green electricity for the production of the recycled steel frame, reduces the product carbon footprint by over 60%. The seat pan is made from high-strength recycled plastic instead of a traditional metal seat pan, achieving Yanfeng’s goal of replacing steel with plastic.
The seat back panel uses recycled PET to achieve a lightweight and dynamic styling that is also sustainable. In addition, the hybrid cushion uses high strength-recycled composites instead of metal which reduces the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) by 20% and allows for a wider choice of surface treatment techniques.
Reco, which stands for Recycle + Eco, represents significant progress towards Yanfeng’s climate goals. These goals include the use of recycled raw materials and lightweight components to significantly reduce corporate carbon emissions and the PCF.
“The Reco Seat is currently in the development stage and for us it is a great product example to demonstrate our competencies and start discussions with our customers about sustainability and circularity,” said Uwe Borchers, Vice President, General Manager Yanfeng Seating, Europe & South Africa.
