Volvo says it wants all of its cars to be leatherless by 2030

Volvo Cars wants all models it sells to be leatherless by 2030, a move that represents the latest example of how automakers are looking to make their vehicles more sustainable.

In an announcement Thursday, the Swedish firm also said it wanted a quarter of the materials used in its new cars “to be recycled and bio-based content” by 2025.

One of the interior materials he will be looking to use, called Nordico, is made up of textiles derived from recycled materials such as polyethylene terephthalate bottles as well as “materials from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland and corks. recycled from the wine industry “.

Although it intends to phase out the use of leather in its vehicles, the company said it “will continue to offer wool blend options from suppliers certified to source responsibly.”

In a statement, Stuart Templar, Volvo Cars’ global sustainability director, said: “Finding products and materials that support animal welfare will be a challenge, but it’s no reason to avoid this problem. important.

In March, Volvo Cars, headquartered in Sweden but owned by Chinese group Zhejiang Geely Holding, announced plans to become a “fully electric car company” by 2030.

“There is no long-term future for cars with internal combustion engines,” said Henrik Green, Volvo Cars’ chief technology officer at the time. “We are firmly committed to becoming an all-electric automaker and the transition is expected to take place by 2030,” said Green.

A number of automakers have announced their intention to equip their vehicles with materials other than leather. In 2019, Elon Musk’s Tesla declared that the interior of his Model 3 was “100% leather-free.”

Other examples include Porsche – a brand owned by the Volkswagen Group – offering customers a leather-less option for the interior of the Taycan, a fully electric sports car.

As concerns about sustainability increase, companies across various industries are exploring new ways to package and deliver their products in an effort to lessen their environmental footprint.

In June, consumer goods giant Unilever said a prototype of what it described as a “paper-based laundry detergent bottle” had been developed for its OMO brand and would be introduced in Brazil early. next year.

Earlier this month, online food delivery company Just Eat said it would work with CLUBZERO to test reusable packaging in London over a three-month period.

In February 2020, Just Eat said it had developed, with packaging company Notpla, a “fully recyclable” take-out box filled with seaweed.