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Environmental aesthetics will certainly attract a discerning segment of drivers, according to Brinley.

\"Some consumers will feel much better about their vehicles,\" she said. \"But we're still pretty far away from having a car made entirely from renewable materials.\"

Geoffrey Heal, a Columbia Business School professor, said automakers could make an even greater impact by powering their factories with renewable electricity and building cars that are easily recyclable at the end of their life cycle. Reusing plastic and biodegradable materials is laudable but would have to be done at a significant scale to truly be effective, he argued.

\"Automakers are doing this because they feel pressure both by consumers and the government. But there is genuinely some concern [by automakers] to make the world a better place,\" Heal told ABC News. \"These are small steps but every little step helps.\"

Ford's Mielewski said the company will continue experimenting with innovative and earth-friendly materials -- agave, potato peels, coffee chaff -- to try to reduce Ford's impact on the planet.

\"We've been doing this for quite a long time. I hope everyone will join us,\" she said.

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