DEARBORN, MI—Drivers of the Ford Escape may be surprised to find out there is a plant inside the door. As part of its overall effort to make vehicles more sustainable, Ford is making the vehicle’s door bolster from the fibers of the kenaf plant.

AGUASCALIENTES, Mexico—Nissan’s automotive assembly plant here is powered by natural gas from a nearby landfill.

LAFAYETTE, IN—Subaru’s assembly plant here has earned ISO 50001 certification for energy efficiency.

PISMO BEACH, CA—LightManufacturing LLC has developed a method for rotomolding plastic parts that is powered by solar energy rather than natural gas.

NORTHBROOK, IL—Underwriters Laboratories has launched a free Web-based tool to help manufacturers assess their corporate sustainability efforts.

WATERLOO, WI—One year after piloting the bike industry’s first carbon fiber recycling program, Trek Bicycle has recovered more than 31,750 kilograms of material from its manufacturing facility here.

SPRING HILL, TN—GM has upgraded the lighting at its assembly plant here, expecting to save some $800,000 annually in electricity costs.

NASHVILLE, TN—Tennessee manufacturers are increasingly emphasizing sustainability and going beyond preliminary steps such as cutting small amounts of waste.

WASHINGTON—At least 3.1 million Americans are employed in green jobs, a sector that now accounts for about 2.4 percent of the nation’s total employment, the Labor Department says.

HUTCHINSON, KS—Siemens’ wind turbine nacelle assembly plant here has been awarded LEED Gold Certification for its environmentally responsible design and energy-efficient operating systems.