There's been a lot of hype surrounding the Ford Bronco since its reveal, and that hype appears to have been justified. Now that a Raptor version is on the way, the Bronco is going to be even more talked about. But the Escape-based Ford Bronco Sport is just as worthy of our attention, and it's been giving rivals Jeep just as many headaches. With plenty of cool features, this is a great little crossover, but it's also green. Ford has just become the first automaker to use 100% recycled ocean plastics to produce car parts; the wiring harness clips in the Bronco Sport are the first of many parts that the Blue Oval intends to produce from discarded plastic fishing nets.

Ford says that "the strength and durability of the nylon material equal that of previously used petroleum-based parts but with a 10% cost saving and requiring less energy to produce." More importantly, this initiative can help clear up the ocean, which is in dire need of our help. According to Pew Charitable Trusts, up to 13 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. DSM Engineering Materials is spurring on job creation by collecting as much of this plastic as possible from the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. This company supplies many industries with the plastic they need to make various consumer goods, but Ford is the first automaker to join the party.

The discarded nylon fishing nets are collected and this plastic "is washed of seawater, dried, and extruded to form small pellets, which are then injection-molded by supplier HellermannTyton into the desired clip shape," explains Ford. These clips weigh around five grams and are fastened to the sides of the Bronco Sport's second-row seats to guide wires that power the side-curtain airbags. As commendable as this is, it's only the start. Ford intends to make use of more parts produced from recycled ocean plastics, "including transmission brackets, wire shields, and floor side rails." So there you have it; going green doesn't have to mean driving an EV.