New Prius uses new Plant-based plastics!

The Prius has always been a boon to mankind - or at least that's the way the environmentalists look at it and we're not arguing. Well, if it wasn?t a model of environment friendliness already, Toyota has found a way to make it even more so. The company's dedication to reduce emissions further and promote sustainability at the same time has led them to research and develop the world's first injection moulded material to be derived from plant matter.

The new 'Ecological Plastic' as it is being known is widely used in the new Prius and obviously will find its way into other models as well in the future. Toyota's aim is to have Ecological Plastic constitute at least about 60 percent of a car's interior components. Ecological Plastics can be widely divided into two - one that is made entirely from plant matter and the other that is a combination of both plant and petroleum products. The fact that plant matter contributes to both types of plastics, CO2 emission linked to this new Ecological Plastic throughout its lifecycle are touted to be 20 percent lesser than conventional plastics. This is because the CO2 emitted when the plastic is eventually disposed off is offset by the CO2 the plants absorbed before they were converted to Ecological Plastic.

Ecological Plastic meets the heat and shock-resistance requirements of use in vehicle interiors and with various raw material combinations can be used to achieve desired quality, strength and durability as well. The plant-derived materials used include polylactic acid, plant-derived polyester, kenaf fibre and polyol, which is derived from castor oil. Ecological Plastic is used for foam and injection moulded parts in new Prius, including the seat cushions, scuff plates and deck trim. So the next time you happen to be in Europe and drive around in a Prius, pay special close to the interiors - after all, they were plants once!