Sustainability is one of the key differentiators driving innovation in today's automotive market, and (pun intended) the grass is looking green. In the luxury market, adoption of newer, greener standards took a bit of time to get moving, but now some of the world's most prominent luxury brands are stirring up the market with big new advancements in the field. Among them is BMW, and Hendersonville used 5 Series dealers are excited to see their brand getting into the mix. But sustainability goes farther than the development of greener engines; corporate responsibility has expanded to cover the entire spectrum of green business, and BMW is making a serious push into eco-friendly corporate responsibility. According to new reports, a BMW plant in South Africa is planning a big waste-to-energy initiative that will use renewable energy as a basis for powering operations.

This is a huge development in the quest for alternative energy sources. If the plant is successful, it could help set a new standard for the manufacturing community and reduce the environmental footprint of operations across the world. For Hendersonville 2011 BMW 5 Series dealers, the implications are clear. According to a recent article in engineering news, "The project is similar to a landfill gas programme, which is responsible for providing its Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, in the US, with around half of its energy requirements, BMW South Africa MD Bodo Donauer said at the company's sustainable future conference in Durban." The fact that this is already underway and meeting with success is an indicator that the future of manufacturing may not be too far off. We've got our fingers crossed that BMW will lead the way in this category, spurring a new wave of sustainability innovation. Used 5 Series owners are happy to be a part of just such a legacy.