MINI to offer fully recyclable interiors “within a generation”
Recyclability will form an integral part of MINI design as it looks to make its cars more sustainable
MINI is making advances that it hopes will allow it to offer fully recycled and recyclable interiors “within a generation”, according to the brand’s head of colour and trim, Kerstin Schmeding.
Responsible for much of the interior trim for the new MINI Aceman, Schmeding told us a totally recyclable cabin is “something [MINI is] truly targeting; this is the right way to go.” The company is currently looking at durability and other technical aspects, but says its goal is “definitely possible”.
The new Aceman uses 2D knitted fabric – a material MINI claims is made from 90 per cent recycled polyester – for the dashboard, door panels and some of the car’s lidded cubbies. Apparently, this method of manufacture uses 98 per cent less water than cotton, and reduces CO2 emissions by around 80 per cent versus conventional polyester processing.
Schmeding told us that MINI is “looking at how you build a car, and how you disassemble it again”. She said her team has spent time talking to recycling centres and that a big part of a more sustainable future will be a focus on using “fewer materials” at the point of manufacture.
MINI’s head of colour and trim didn’t seem to think this new strategy would have a detrimental effect on perceived quality, however. Speaking about the Aceman, which is seen internally as an early step in MINI’s intended direction, Schmeding told us that “focusing on a few elements gave [MINI] freedom to really focus on the detail and the quality.
“From a material standpoint, it’s very special,” she told us. “The dashboard has some completely new technology; by cleaning up the surface, it gives the dashboard a really nice finish.”
With MINI’s line-up almost complete – just the revised Convertible is left to launch – it’ll be some time before we see the fruits of the company’s labour. Any fully recyclable interior isn’t likely to come to pass before 2030 at the earliest.
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