University of Guelph researchers, in collaboration with the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, received $620,000 to create eco-friendly car parts from biofibres and bioplastics. The project will create car-part prototypes from natural and biobased fibres and plastics, with the goal of substituting renewable and recyclable engineered composites for petroleum-based materials currently used in the automotive industry. Funding for the project is being provided by AUTO21, Canada's national automotive research network, and various industry partners. The endeavor is one of 20 nationwide projects that will benefit from the initiative’s $10 million investment.