Plastic fantastic – that’s the phrase that can be used for a new wheat-straw reinforced plastic that has been developed by the Ford Motor Company alongside academic researchers in Canada.

The natural fibre based plastic contains 20 per cent wheat straw bio-filler and will be used on the 2010 Ford Flex’s third-row interior storage bins. This application alone will cut petroleum usage by some 20,000 pounds a year and cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 30,000 pounds a year.

Researchers from Ford were originally approached with the wheat straw based plastics by the University of Waterloo in Ontario as part of the Ontario BioCar Initiative – a multi-university study. Ford is now working closely on the project, which is funded by the Ontario government and seeks to advance the use of more plant based materials in both the auto and agricultural industries.

The wheat straw-reinforced resin will be the BioCar initiative’s first production ready application. It weighs up to 10 per cent less than a plastic reinforced with talc or glass and demonstrates better dimensional integrity.

Though an interior storage bin may only seem like a small start, it is hoped that it will open the door for more applications with Ford seeing a great deal of potential in wheat straw thanks to its strong mechanical properties that can meet performance and durability specifications while helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.