It is a well known fact that petrol and diesel cars are bad for the environment due to their high consumption of fossil fuels, and the amount of harmful gases they produce. However the production of cars is also extremely unsustianable, even electric cars. This is because a variety of materials and methods of production are required when making a car. Many materials are also wasted during the production, that do not appear in the final product.

Car companies are trying to lower their carbon footprint, and have been doing so for some time. In the mid 1920’s Ford began making several car parts from “Fordite”, a unique mixture of wheat straw, silica, rubber. At this current time Ford features nine sustainable materials in their production; soy, wheat, rice, castor, kenaf (hibiscus), tree cellulose, jute, and coconut.

Armarinhos Teixeira is a Brazilian artist who uses industrial waste to create organic textile pieces. His pieces are made from automotive manufacturing waste such as nylon, leather cords, steel cords and polyester, with his most notable material being a textile which is used in the production of tyres. This plastic semi transparent material is not used in the final tyre product but is instead thrown away, even though it takes an estimated 600 years to degrade. Even after this period the plastic within the material is still hazardous to wildlife as a microplastic. This material is organically made into forms by the artist and held together using shoe makers techniques to ensure a fluid structure.

As an artist Teixeira studies the morphology of borders between cities, the forest and arid areas. His artworks hang, hover, lie, flow across borders within exhibition spaces and adapt in shape and size to the given space.

For one of his most recent exhibitions research was conducted in the Amazon into the movement of water. Floods and tides profoundly alter the landscape governed by their rhythms which are depicted within his pieces. The exhibition also contains aquatic biomes using water filtration circular systems. Nutrients then also ensure the growth of Amazonian aquatic species.

Designers have also used automotive waste as materials for products. Mater have created furniture from recycled aluminium taken from old car parts and bicycle wheels. These types of materials are expensive and of the highest quality to withstand use. However when people no longer use their cars, then there is an opportunity to utilise this waste.