Indian Auto Firm To Use UBQ Waste Conversion Material In Auto Parts

Israeli company UBQ Materials is collaborating with automotive company Motherson Group to implement UBQ’s carbon-negative thermoplastic in auto parts manufactured by the India-based component maker for the automotive industry, the two companies announced on Monday.

Founded in 2012, UBQ produces a patented material converted from 100 percent unsorted household waste, containing food leftovers, mixed plastics, paper, cardboard, packaging materials, and diapers. The unsorted waste stream is reduced to its most basic natural components and then reassembled and bound together into a matrix, creating a novel climate-positive material with applications across industries. 

UBQ prevents the emission of methane, groundwater leakage, and other environmental harms by diverting landfill-destined waste. Every ton of UBQ produced prevents 11.7 tons of CO₂-eq from polluting the environment.

Motherson is looking to provide sustainable solutions to aid in their customers’ sustainability commitments, the announcement said.

“Motherson is a global tier-one manufacturer and supplier to the industry and as such, we are very conscious of continually seeking ways to be more sustainable, to reduce the environmental impact of our business, and to look for ways of the increasing use of recycled and sustainable materials,” explains Barrie Painter, EVP, global sales and marketing and strategic technology at Motherson. 

Motherson is currently testing and evaluating the incorporation of UBQ in the production of a range of interior and exterior automobile parts. Following further trials and examinations, Motherson and UBQ have every intention to see this collaboration through to serial production. 

“We have embarked on a very ambitious project”, says Sophie Tuviahu, VP of business development and sales at UBQ Materials. “Automotive standards are demanding and we aim to be an approved raw material in a wide scope of applications in the automotive industry.”  

This isn’t UBQ’s first partnership in the automotive industry. In February 2020, Daimler, a manufacturer of Mercedes Benz, announced it was embarking on a trial and development partnership with UBQ which will look at incorporating UBQ’s tech into the production of a range of Daimler automobile parts.

As a result of successful progress and advanced developments, UBQ Materials was introduced to Motherson. Motherson selected UBQ Materials as an innovation partner in Plug and Play’s Startup Autobahn, a platform that connects emerging technologies to pilot opportunities with multinational corporations.