Less toxic than regular plastic, the science behind the bioplastic parts in the Mazda 3 and CX-30

Plastics are everywhere around us. From the containers we use to pack lunches to even the air we breathe the electronic device you’re reading this article on. It’s also in cars and the average vehicle has 30,000 parts.

Out of those, one-third or 10,000 of those parts are made of plastic so even if the material is hazardous to the environment, we’re very much reliant on it. Mazda though has a solution for a more environmentally friendly plastic and it has been developing it for years before carbon neutrality is an industry buzzword.

Bio-engineered plastic or bioplastics is manufactured using plant-derived raw materials instead of petroleum, so it is as durable but causes less harm to the environment.

Bioplastics are usually limited to shopping bags and single-use plastic bottles - products that don't require high durability and complex colour finishing. So, it's not exactly a material used for something like a car part.

Despite that, Mazda saw bioplastics as the future and began development for bioplastic car parts in the early 2000s. In 2006, the Hiroshima automaker successfully developed an interior car part made from bioplastic.

2 years later, the material was shown in the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid concept which consisted of the entire lower panel of the dashboard including the glove box, front console, and gear shift panel. Eventually, Mazda would insert bioplastic parts in its production models, beginning with small interior parts like the cup holder ring in the MX-5 to bigger exterior parts like the front grille of the CX-5.

Today, bioplastic parts are inserted into all Mazda models currently offered in Japan in both the exterior and interior. Even though the material is still expensive to produce, Mazda’s engineers like the material as the final product is colourless and transparent.

That gives them and designers free reign to touch up with whatever unique colours that Mazda is known for. Adding colour to the transparent bioplastic helps to make the hue appear crisper and more elegant than painted petroleum-based plastic.

Currently, Mazda is looking to further enhance its bioplastic material by introducing a 2-layer moulding technology. This would help give a deeper shade to enhance the beauty and appearance of colours as bold as Soul Red or Zircon Sand.

Also read: Mazda’s evocative Soul Red Crystal - what’s in the price premium?

The two layers consist of a surface layer and a base layer. The first layer is a clear-coloured layer that takes advantage of the transparent surface of the bioplastic to allow light to pass through to unravel the sheen of the coated second layer.

The result is a trim piece that doesn’t look too plain and appears literally layered and showing off some depth. The double-layered trim is currently fitted on the gear shift panel and the cup holder lid of the Mazda 3 and Mazda CX-30.

Besides black, Mazda is also experimenting with other colours and patterns with its bioplastic material. While a prototype piece with a red wood grain shows the potential of bioplastic trims, Mazda is offering colourful bioplastic trims on the facelifted Mazda 2 which is making its way into Thailand.

Also read: Choose your preferred face - New look 2023 Mazda 2 to launch in Thailand next week

Aside from developing and producing bioplastic, Mazda is also competing in the Super Taikyu race series in a biofuel-powered Mazda 3 race car. With Mazda being committed to being more carbon-neutral in the industry, it looks like the Hiroshima automaker is on track.

Also read: The future of VTEC in an electrified world lies in this carbon neutral Honda Civic Type R race car