From the fields to the production line: the SEAT Arona is the first car to include parts made from rice husks

Martorell,
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  • SEAT starts production of the SEAT Arona with two parts made from Oryzite, a renewable and natural-based material made using rice waste
  • Each car contains 60 grams of rice, which equates to an annual use of 5 tonnes of this raw material that would otherwise be dumped on landfills
  • It’s the culmination of a pilot test launched in 2020 to reduce the use of petroleum products 

It’s a global dietary staple, the most consumed food on the planet... and now, it’s also a surprising addition to the SEAT Arona. We’re talking about rice, or rather, its husk. SEAT has just become the first car brand to incorporate two double-floor support parts made of Oryzite in the boot of one of its production models—an innovative, renewable, and natural-based material produced from rice waste after harvesting. This project was launched in 2020 as a pilot test within the framework of the company’s Innovation Days, and aftser several years of joint research and development between SEAT and the companies Oryzite and SIGIT, it’s now fully integrated into the SEAT Arona series. 

5 tonnes of rice residue put to good use. When you open the boot of the SEAT SUV, nothing suggests any change in the parts of the double-floor support. But in fact, what was once 100% polypropylene with  glass fiber now also contains 15% of Oryzite, a renewable materialto plastic[NS1] . “60 grams of rice husks are now currently used in each SEAT Arona that leaves the production line, which means that every year we use up to 5 tonnes of this by-product from the rice fields of the Ebro Delta, a biosphere reserve on the east coast of Spain” explains Gerard Suriol, Interior Development at the SEAT S.A. Technical Centre.

Win-win. “We’ve successfully managed to incorporate this renewable material and encourage the circular economy, while reducing the use of petroleum-based products” says Gerard. But the benefits go beyond sustainability—the weight of the part is reduced by 5.8% and the cost of production by up to 2%. Oryzite is a renewable material that innovatively links the primary sector with the industrial sector.

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