Auto manufacturers have looked into many new materials, such as carbon fiber or alcantara–a substitute for suede leather–to give their vehicles an edge over other manufacturers. Ford Motor Company is looking at tomatoes. Ford wants to find solutions for petroleum-based materials and reduce the footprint of its products.

Ford is not looking at the tomato fruits themselves (at least in their mature, ready-to-eat form); rather they are looking at tomato fibers that could unlock new opportunities in developing a sustainably sound alternative to current materials.

Ford is delighted that the technology has been validated. Although it is in the very early stages of research, and many questions remain, they are excited about the possibilities this could produce for both Heinz and Ford, and the advancement of sustainable 100 percent plant-based plastics.

Their idea is to recycle and reuse tomato peels, stems and seeds to produce the numerous interior trim pieces, bumpers, fascias, dashboards and other large scale components of vehicles. A challenge will be these components’ ability to cope with stress and heat issues, but Ford’s labs are working to develop new breakthroughs for plant-based applications.