Ford has saved some 4.1 million pounds of old domestic carpeting from landfill — the equivalent of 154 football fields — by using a recycled material called EcoLon for its cylinder head covers. EcoLon is a nylon resin made from 100 percent recycled carpet, by Wellman Engineering Resins.

It is used to make cylinder head covers for the 3.0-litre Duratec engine in the Ford Fusion and Escape and the 5.0-litre engine in the Mustang and F-150.

During 2010, Ford’s use of EcoLon has amounted to reusing more than 985,000 yards of carpet and reduced the consumption of oil by 430,000 gallons.

“We didn’t have to make compromises for this application,” said Roy Ford, Ford engine-sealing supervisor. “With a fixed raw material cost that delivers cost savings compared to oil, along with the green benefit, this application adds to the ways Ford is minimizing our impact on the environment.”

The cover is the first automotive product of its kind manufactured from post-consumer recycled nylon.

To repurpose nylon, Wellman grinds used nylon carpeting into fiber and recaptures the material. The resulting product is a high-quality nylon resin.