Yanfeng has introduced a sustainable seat called the Reco Seat, which aims to redefine eco-friendly cabin solutions.
The Reco Seat, short for Recycle + Eco, uses recycled materials, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU) trim, recycled foam, thermoplastic foam and a green steel frame.
The seat cover, made from 100% recycled PET sourced from soft drink bottles, reduces product carbon emissions by more than 20%, Yanfeng says. The foam used in the Reco Seat is also environmentally friendly thanks to a combination of recycled and thermoplastic foam.
The use of industrial wastewater steam in the foam production process also contributes to the sustainability effort.
Moreover, Yanfeng’s collaboration with a steel company has led to a substantial reduction in product carbon emissions for the Reco Seat. By using up to 100% scrap steel as raw material and green electricity for production, the carbon footprint of the recycled steel frame is reduced by more than 60%, according to Yanfeng.
The Reco Seat’s design also incorporates recycled PET for the seat back panel, and the seat pan is made from high-strength recycled plastic instead of traditional metal. Additionally, the hybrid cushion uses high-strength recycled composites instead of metal, which reportedly reduces the PCF content by 20% and enables a wider choice of surface treatment techniques.
“We are committed to providing innovative and sustainable cabin solutions, and the development of the new Reco Seat is an important milestone in our sustainability strategy and our contribution to the limitation of global warming to 1.5°C in line with the targets of the Paris Agreement,” said Uwe Borchers, VP and general manager of Yanfeng Seating, Europe & South Africa.
“The Reco Seat is currently in the development stage. For us, it is a great product example to demonstrate our competencies and start discussions with our customers about sustainability and circularity. Together with our seating engineering and innovation teams we are developing sustainable solutions for the next vehicle generation,” added Borchers.
For more on seating, please click here.
