most plastics used in cars emit toxic chemicals not only during their production but also later, potentially exposing users to unhealthy emissions inside their automobile. This is in spite of the fact that safer, less toxic plastics are readily available in the market, according to a recent report by a Michigan-based non-profit organisation, Ecology Center, in collaboration with New York-based Clean Product Action.

The report graded top-selling automakers in the us according to their commitment to use environment-friendly plastics. The us automakers such as Ford and General Motors received "failing grades'. Japanese companies such as Toyota were better off. "Though Toyota has implemented many practices that us automakers can learn from, it received a c grade which means there is still a lot of room for improvement,' said Charles Griffith of the Ecology Center.

Plastics make up about 7.5 per cent of a car's weight. This represents almost 2 million tonnes* of plastic waste generated per year in the us alone. Petrochemical-based plastics such as polyvinyl chloride, or pvc , release toxic chemicals throughout their lifecycle: during production (dioxin, furans); during vehicle use (phthalates) and at the time of vehicle incineration (dioxin, hydrochloric acid).

Perhaps today's automakers should follow the example of Henry Ford who produced an entire car body from soyabean-based plastics in 1930!