Yammie’s been gunning for a net-zero future – so much so, in fact, that they shaved down their carbon neutral goals by a staggering fifteen years in 2022 to allow a skinny “92% reduction in CO2 emissions (compared to 2010) from production operations at domestic and international Yamaha Motor factories” (via MCN).
Before they continue toward 2035 and complete electric machines and swappable batteries, though, attention is needed to properly dress today’s motorcycles – and a recent press release from Yamaha states that the current stuff they use (recycled polypropylene, or PP) now has a better successor for their smaller-cc offerings.
“… this newly developed material offers even higher levels of strength and quality looks compared to conventional recycled materials… It can also be used for areas requiring greater aesthetic appeal,” explains Yamaha’s press release on Business Wire.
“With the use of this eco-friendly recycled PP going forward, the Company plans to raise the usage ratio of such recycled materials in motorcycles and gradually adopt the material in other product categories as well.”
The move is intuitive on many levels. Our industry has three specific areas that could see improvement in the sustainability of motorcycle manufacturing:
- Raw ingredients used to make recycled materials
- Matter created during resin synthesis
- Emissions levels (corporate, factory, and that of the bikes themselves)
With Yamaha targeting all three categories at the bottom of their press release, we understand that the motorcycle marque won’t be cutting corners in sustainability anytime soon.
We’re here for the transition.
What do you think of Yamaha’s drive toward sustainability?