Sustainability goals: Mercedes-Benz wants to use cactus fibers, recycled PET bottles, nylon yarns

MANILA: Mercedes-Benz shows its sustainable production processes for its vehicles called "Design for Environment" strategy. 

With Ambition 2039, the goal of Mercedes-Benz is to have a CO2-neutral fleet of new passenger cars and vans across the entire value chain and life cycle by 2039. 

Mercedes-Benz will introduce sustainable material by UBQ. The material is made from upcycled, unsorted household waste to be introduced into ongoing series of EQS and EQE vehicles. 

The UBQ, recycled from food residues, mixed plastics, cardboard and baby diapers can be applied to the cars' underbody panels, wheel arch linings and engine compartment covers. 

Resource-conserving processed genuine leather will be rolled out successively to all model series from 2023 onwards. Mercedes-Benz promises that its leather supply chain is free from any form of illegal deforestation, or endanger or lose natural forests. 

Meanwhile, the leather will be tanned from environmentally friendly tanning processes that are completely free of chromium and only be processed in tanneries that are certified according to the Gold Standard of the Leather Working Group.

In the Design For Environment phase, future Mercedes-Benz EVs use powdered cactus fibers, recycled PET bottles, nylon yarns, and other natural fibers in the EV's interiors. 

Outside the EVs, almost completely CO2-free steel will be used in various vehicle models from 2025 onwards. 

As part of Ambition 2039, Mercedes-Benz is pursuing the goal of decarbonizing the steel supply chain. The carmaker's Vision EQXX uses CO2-reduced flat steel from Salzgitter, which is produced 100% from scrap in the electric arc furnace.

Today, more than 60% CO2-reduced low-alloyed grades are being used in the current E-Class and the EQE, among other models. 

Photos from Mercedes-Benz

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