Photo credit: Alpha, CC-SA-2.0
United Airlines partnered with a fashion company to prevent 900 pounds of waste from ending up in landfills in the form of expired life jackets.
According to the Uniform Aviation Safety Regulations, under-seat life jackets must be replaced every eight to 10 years, and while it would be great if you didn’t have to use them, United Airlines’ Boeing 737s alone produce more than 19,000 expired life jackets a year.
In an effort to save landfill space and reduce the carbon footprint of the world’s third-largest airline, United Airlines has partnered with a company called B2L to recycle jackets and create a collection of trendy, travel-themed bags for laundry, laptops, the beach and backpacks.
“While disposing of expired life jackets at IAD, [Washington Dulles International Airport]”We wanted to find a more creative solution to keep this material out of landfills,” said Erin Taylor, United’s environmental affairs manager. “Thankfully, we were able to connect with companies that upcycle life jacket materials (which would normally be thrown away) into fun, practical products.”
B2L or “Bag 2 Life” is a German upcycling company whose first year’s offering was well-received, divert 900 pounds of jackets from ending up in landfill, and won the German company a renewal for a second year, doubling the amount.
Similar idea: Russian trash heaps transformed into fashionable accessories
These life jackets take hundreds of years to decompose in the ground, and in the process they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in a very short time.
Upcycling ideas: Instead of demolishing its tallest buildings, Australia launches ‘upcycle skyscraper’ competition to save tons of CO2
While these bags are eye-catching and serve a good purpose, they are also expensive, with just the shoulder bag costing well over $100 and just the small backpack costing $177.89.
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