Southwest Airlines Launches Upcycling Project

Jul 16, 2014 11:00 AM ET

Original article on Environmental Leader.

Southwest Airlines has launched an upcycling initiative to transform 43 acres of used leather seat coverings into new products.

The LUV Seat: Repurpose with Purpose sustainability program will also benefit communities by providing employment, skills training and donated products, the airline says.

Southwest developed the recycling initiative following its Evolve program, a large-scale redesign of all 737-700 aircraft, a portion of its 737-300 fleet, and the current standard on all new planes. The Evolve program replaced the leather seat covers and other interior elements with environmentally friendly materials. Through this redesign, Southwest reduced the weight of each aircraft by more than 600 pounds.

Southwest will pilot LUV Seat in Nairobi, Malawi and the US.

Continue reading the orginal article about Southwest's upcycling intiative on Environmental Leader.

Original source: Environmental Leader