A cooperation between Japanese car manufacturer Mazda and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation has developed a new bio-based engineering plastic that can be used for exterior design parts in automobiles.

The two companies said the new plastic will help Mazda to reduce its environmental footprint. In the first place, the use of plant-derived materials for the polymer will help to curb the use of petroleum resources and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Also, as the material can be dyed rather than conventionally coated, emissions of volatile organic compounds are reduced.

Dyed automotive parts made from the bio-based engineering plastic are said to feature a finish of higher-quality than can be achieved with traditional painted plastic. The deep hue and smooth, mirror-like finish of the surface make the newly-developed plastic suitable for external vehicle parts with a high design factor, Mazda said.

For interior applications, the Japanese carmaker has developed what it says is the automotive industry's first high-strength heat-resistant plant-derived bioplastic for auto interior parts, and the world's first biofabric for vehicle seat upholstery made entirely from plant-derived fiber.

The bio-based engineering plastic will be used for the first time in the interior parts for the new Mazda MX-5, to be launched globally in 2015, and later for other models.