Innovation and conservation meet at Motul

Motorsport and conservation hardly look like a matching pair. After all, the excitement and speed of the circuit is a far cry from the quiet and efficient cars we associate as being better for the environment. However, Motul has merged the two worlds together and applied its motorsport expertise to raise sustainability standards.

With its latest exhibition held at the Marina Barrage Sustainable Singapore Gallery, the firm has showcased how it too can contribute to conservation efforts by applying its innovative corporate culture to spur others into taking on similar initiatives. We find out more about the firm's environmental initiatives here.

Going beyond simple recycling

Recycling, of course, is nothing new in the world of sustainability. But Motul has decided to take it just one step further, showing how even a typical material-saving process can be re-imagined and serve as inspiration for yet more initiatives down the line.

Take for example the fact that it is utilising recycled oil drums to nurture the practice of permaculture among the children who visit the Tak Takut Kids Club, a social experiment started by 3Pumpkins, with the assistance of urban permaculture consultancy firm Cultivate Central.

These re-used drums now bring urban farming into the community at Tak Takut Kids Club - teaching children about the importance of making the right food choices while bringing them closer to nature.

But the benefit of these re-used oil drums goes beyond healthy eating - they come with a sub-irrigation system that also maximises water use.

Building a brighter future

Motul is also adopting practices designed to bring change on a global level. For instance, it is developing a combined solar energy system with battery energy storage system in Vietnam that is expected to contribute to the energy needs of its production plant located just outside Ho Chi Minh.

This hybrid clean energy solution provides dual application of solar energy generation and battery storage that greatly increases the collective energy output by 20 per cent.

This facilitates Motul's efforts to achieve its sustainability goals to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the manufacturing process. 

With its labs already filled with experts in the field of chemistry and honed in the crafting of formulations, the firm has opted to work with Green Corp Konnection - a group of industrial companies that offer green energy and e-mobility solutions - to develop new fluids for use in the batteries of electric vehicles.

This fluid will not only offer safer operation of electric vehicles as they are less prone to catch fire, but will also allow better control of cell temperatures, prolonging the lifespan of the battery, and facilitating a faster charging rate.

Bringing sustainability to the people

Closer to home is Motul's NGEN line of sustainable lubricants. This line takes innovative steps including the use of 100 per cent renewable plant-based synthetic base stock, and also comes in a plastic bottle that is 50 per cent post-consumer recycled material and 100 per cent recyclable itself. 

But its commitment to sustainable packaging goes beyond the NGEN product line. Motul has recognised the urgent need to reduce its ecological footprint and took a giant leap towards a greener future.

In March 2024, Motul Asia Pacific will begin the journey of incorporating 50 per cent post-consumer recycled resin in the majority of its motorcycle lubricant bottle packages. Together, it is weaving a narrative of positive change, proving that small choices can lead to significant impacts.

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Also showcased at the Marina Barrage Sustainable Singapore Gallery are two artworks by Artists Cheryl Chiw, Creative Director at Mentalworks, and Matthias Yong, a Metalsmith from Baremetal Co.

Comprising of two oil barrels that have had sections cut out, they have been transformed from closed-off utilitarian storage devices into new and beautiful open pieces that cast a gentle light on those around them.

The two barrels highlight how something such as oil can be so vital to keeping so much running smoothly, and how resources can be repurposed to create better outcomes.

Motul's Going Beyond the Barrel exhibition may be over, but it has shown how even a barrel can become a new source of illumination.

Through a collective effort, let us continue to adopt more sustainable practices at work and at home and find new ways to encourage innovation.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.