The explosion of the vegan phenomenon in recent years, the car has faced its own controversies. Respecting nature also means respecting animals. Long synonymous with comfort, Animal skin was once considered an external sign of status. It was also found mainly in the top class car models. Today, and with the evolution of consciousness, it has fewer and fewer followers. We prefer artificial leather, such as vegetable or recycled leather. Vegetable leather, or Vegan, does not use, as the name implies, any material of animal origin (leather, wool, fabric). They are replaced by vegetable substitutes. For example, pineapple skin (Pinatex), tree skin, cactus skin, eucalyptus skin, mushroom skin, etc. For recycled leather, the principle is different. It still uses plant-based materials, but in much smaller quantities than for plant-based leather.

Recycled plastic for seat upholstery

It consists mostly of recycled parts. The most common today are plastic bottles (PET) from the oceanscork stoppers from the wine industry, as well abandoned fishing nets in reefs. There are many possibilities for reuse, but the principle is always the same. Make them into recycled yarn that will be used weave, for example, patterns for seats and doors. More and more car designers and manufacturers are interested in this process. However, it is even rarer than vegetable leather. Volvo has taken a step towards such a process by introducing its own C40 Fills recycled Nordico material. Fiat has partnered with Seaqual to outfit its Fiat 500 with yarn recycled from marine waste. Recently BMW boasted the same process on its i-Circular concept, which should materialize through serial marketing. Today SEAT takes a decisive step and presents new trim on Ibiza and Arona: from Seaqual.

More responsible SEAT

Seaqual is a Spanish organization that collects marine plastic waste for recycling and reuse. Its partnership with SEAT involves the supply of recycled fabric, which consists of 10% marine plastic and 90% “land” plastic. It dresses the seats in a black and blue two-tone upholstery, riddled with waves and stripes, as a nod to the oceans. Other features specific to these special versions, they use 17-inch “Urban Night” rims.. Based on the Copa trim (due in late 2022), they are very well equipped as standard. The Ibiza is entitled to a new white insert on the dashboard, door panels and around the gear lever. Prices for the Ibiza start at €22,165 and the Arona from €25,010. Production of these special and responsible versions of the SEAT models, which are assembled in Martorella, Spain, will begin in June 2023.