The automotive interior is becoming a decisive factor in the car user’s buying decision. A survey conducted by Asahi Kasei Europe in October 2019 revealed, that within the interior the end user’s need towards surface materials that are premium and yet sustainable is rapidly growing. 57% of the respondents think that sustainable materials for seat covers and surfaces will be becoming increas-ingly important in the next five to ten years, while the need for real leather equipment will fall drasti-cally.
80% less emissions and energy consumption
Miko, an Italian subsidiary of US-based Sage Automotive Interiors (member of the Asahi Kasei Group) is the producer of the ecological microfiber Dinamica®. The material is mostly covering auto-motive seats and headrests, headliners, door panels or steering wheels. The recycled polyester con-tained in the microfiber derives from polyester fibres (T-shirts, fibres, etc.) and PET-Plastic (bottles, packaging materials, etc.). Recycling polyester means a reduction of energy consumption and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 80% compared to the traditional petrol-based polyester production process. Dinamica® is produced using an innovative water-based manufacturing process in which no harmful chemical solvents are used. This process compacts the fibres, making them elastic and resistant. The use of neutral, non-toxic dyes and recycled polyester is a further guarantee of the natural approach adopted.
A pioneer in sustainability
Miko is one of the pioneering Italians Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of sustainability. Already in 1997, together with Asahi Kasei, it patented the Dinamica® raw material made from recycled plas-tic. Further actions, aimed to support sustainable development, have followed, such as quality and environmental certifications (Environmental Product Declaration - EPD®, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, In-ternational Automotive Task Force - IATF 16949, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, “PETA-approved Ve-gan”) and the CSR Report focused on the issue of all-round sustainability.
The automotive industry relies on sustainable artificial suede leather
The attention to sustainability and the refined look of Dinamica® have conquered the automotive world. In particular, prestigious car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, VW Group, Jaguar-Land Rover, Volvo and Chevrolet - to name just a few - choose Dinamica® with a growing awareness to cover their new models. Recent projects developed with Dinamica® interiors include the Taycan, the first full-electric car by Porsche, the Mercedes-Benz AVTR concept car, the new Corvette C8 Sting-ray, the Volkswagen ID.3 and the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer. According to the brand-new collabo-ration with Audi, the new Q2 is covered by Dinamica®.
