Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has achieved a significant milestone in sustainability by successfully integrating recycled polyurethane seat foam from end-of-life vehicles into the production of new seats. This innovation marks the first-ever closed-loop recycling of seat foam in the automotive industry, accomplished in collaboration with Dow’s MobilityScience and automotive seating leader Adient.
The recycled seat foam is undergoing full production testing and is expected to feature in pre-production vehicles early next year. Polyurethane foam, traditionally challenging to recycle due to its durability, often ends up in landfills. JLR’s closed-loop approach aims to tackle this issue by reducing emissions, eliminating waste, and ensuring a steady supply of low-carbon seat foam for future vehicles.
The use of recycled foam will be a key feature in JLR’s new “circular seat,” which is projected to cut CO2 emissions by 50%. Each seat will prevent approximately 44kg of CO2e emissions, equivalent to the energy required to charge nearly 3,000 smartphones, without compromising on performance or quality.
Andrea Debbane, Chief Sustainability Officer at JLR, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “This innovation demonstrates how working together across the value chain can drive meaningful change at scale. It’s a critical step towards full circularity and aligns with our vision for the future of sustainable luxury vehicles.”
Dow, through its RENUVA sustainability program, has played a pivotal role in converting end-of-life polyurethane waste into new raw materials using advanced recycling techniques. “This breakthrough highlights our commitment to sustainable mobility and supports our net-zero and circular economy goals,” said Jon Penrice, President of Mobility at Dow.
Adient, a leader in automotive seating, underscored the importance of this partnership. “By integrating recycled polyurethane, we are setting new standards for sustainability while maintaining the luxury and comfort our customers expect,” said Mick Flanagan, Vice-President of Adient’s Customer Group.
JLR’s breakthrough is a result of research conducted at its Circularity Lab in Gaydon, which focuses on enhancing vehicle recyclability and reducing waste. The lab takes apart vehicles to identify barriers to recycling and collaborates with suppliers and material experts to create sustainable solutions.
The lab’s approach has already delivered results, such as using fewer polymers in bumpers while maintaining quality, saving 177,500 kg CO2e and £560,000 per model line. JLR’s award-winning aluminum recycling initiative, which incorporated scrap aluminum from body panels back into production, is another testament to its circular innovation efforts.
This initiative is part of JLR’s Reimagine strategy, which seeks to redefine sustainability benchmarks through a circular economy model, eliminating waste and extending the lifecycle of materials. JLR’s advancements underscore its commitment to a resource-efficient and environmentally responsible future.
Dow, a global leader in materials science, specializes in producing essential raw materials and advanced formulated products like polyolefins, polyurethanes, silicones, and acrylics. Since 2021, Dow has partnered with Jaguar TCS Racing as its Official Materials Science Partner. This collaboration took a significant step forward in October 2023 when Dow and JLR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand their partnership beyond motorsport into JLR’s broader business. The agreement focuses on driving sustainability and innovation through cutting-edge materials science, supporting both companies’ goals of achieving leadership in sustainable operations and pioneering advancements.
JLR is pursuing a sustainability-driven vision of modern luxury through its Reimagine strategy. The company is committed to achieving carbon net-zero across its supply chain, operations, and products by 2039, with science-based targets set for reducing emissions by 2030. Electrification is central to JLR’s transformation, with plans for a fully electric Jaguar lineup and pure electric models in the Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender collections by the end of the decade. Headquartered in the UK, JLR operates multiple design, engineering, and manufacturing facilities worldwide, including plants in Slovakia, Austria, China, India, and Brazil. A wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors Limited under Tata Sons, JLR blends British heritage with a global manufacturing and technological footprint.
