Volvo ditching leather for recycled plastic

Volvo making new materials from recycled resources

Volvo has big plans when it comes to going green and eco-friendly. The automaker has laid out plans to go electric and even use recycled materials in vehicles. But Volvo won't just stop there. To become even more environmentally sustainable, the automaker will no longer offer leather on its electric vehicles. It's already started with the all-electric C40 Recharge.

Instead of leather, Volvo will offer customers alternatives such as high-quality sustainable materials made from bio-based and recycled sources. One example is Nordico, a new interior material created by Volvo Cars that consist of textiles made from recycled material such as PET bottles, bio-attributed material from sustainable forests in Sweden and Finland, and recycled corks.

Aside from recycled materials, Volvo will also offer wool-blend options from suppliers certified to source responsibly. To become even more sustainable, the automaker is looking to reduce the use of residual products from livestock production typically used with the production of plastics, rubbers, lubricants, and adhesives.

“Being a progressive car maker means we need to address all areas of sustainability, not just CO2 emissions. Responsible sourcing is an important part of that work, including respect for animal welfare. Going leather-free inside our pure electric cars is a good next step towards addressing this issue,” says Stuart Templar, director of global sustainability at Volvo Cars.

By switching to more sustainable materials, Volvo can meet its goal of becoming a fully circular business by 2040. At the same time, going leather-free would negate the negative environmental impacts of cattle farming, including deforestation. According to the automaker, livestock is estimated to be responsible for around 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activity, the majority of which comes from cattle farming. The company can also take a stand to stop animal harm by reducing the demand for these materials.

With Volvo planning to sell only electric cars by 2030, that means no more leather in all future models. We might miss seeing and feeling it, but at least the automaker saying goodbye to leather for a good cause.