This research explores the potential for using sustainable materials, in closed-loop systems applied to aspects of an automotive interior. I approached this by using materials in separate recovery streams: biological for industrial composting, and technical for recycling. The thesis sets out the challenges I faced when dealing with the messy reality of real-world designing. These were: working within established industrial systems, complex global supply chains, the marketing of materials and perceived expectations of how automotive products should look. The thesis explores how, as the research progressed, my thinking about the research question shifted, as the problem and solution spaces were further explored. Changing one material element in a vehicle has a cascade effect: this is because each component is interdependent on another product within the vehicle. The car is a complex mix of industrially manufactured parts with established systems producing vast volumes of products for the automotive industry, making them difficult to change. Remanufacturing of parts, recovery for industrial composting and recycling requires systems to be created, as described by a circular economy. These are challenges I faced in making the prototype textiles and interior panels: first, as the work I made was only one component in a product, how would it be recovered from the other materials it was connected with, and second, what systems are in place for recovery as a circular economy proposes? Design for disassembly would partially resolve this issue, but this would involve a complete redesign of the seat and door, which would impact on the whole vehicle architecture. Another challenge was in the transparency of material supply chains and finding information on the true environmental impact of materials. The prototypes were created using craft-processes and industrial manufacturing, the distinction between the two being that the hand-made pieces are imperfect due to the process and materials used in their fabrication, whereas the industrial recycled product is identical both technically and visually to a virgin product. This made me question expectations and perceived expectations of the automotive industry and their customers regarding material performance and an ‘always new’ look. These questions arose through making and reflecting on the practical work, which suggests that there is an opportunity for a new form language for using sustainable materials in large-scale industrial design applications. The thesis includes discussion of the practical projects and reflections on the broader systemic questions that the projects raise, including the nature of practice-based research.