Shock horror, Norwegian’s iconic threads – with the male’s plaid jackets – will be replaced next year. While we mourn one of the most iconic cabin crew jacket’s demise, the airline has made the loss bitter-sweet. The airline has announced it will combat textile waste by launching a new pilot project “Still Travelling with Norwegian.” Used uniforms will be upcycled into a series of new, sustainable products that will be sold onboard selected short-haul flights from Oslo.
This isn’t the first time crew uniforms have had a second life, in fact if you’ve flown KLM recently, chances are you’ve been walking on the second hand uniforms that have been carefully woven in to the airline’s retrofitted cabins.
“Now that we are replacing some of our uniforms, it’s important that we look into a sustainable way to reuse the materials. We have partnered with a social enterprise based in Norway called Sisters in Business, which creates jobs for immigrant women through local textile production,” says Cecilie Nybø Carlsen, Norwegian’s VP Product Manager.
The project will launch with two items that have been made from Norwegian’s long-haul uniforms: a stylish, chequered toiletry bag and a beautiful silk clutch bag; both unique and handmade products. All the profit from the sale of these products will go towards supporting UNICEF’s work for children.
The initiative ticks more sustainable and ethical check boxes that we can shake a stick at, and for that reason we applaud this initiative. The even bigger plus, is that the end result is actually pretty attractive too! Maybe this is one for the Christmas list.
“If the project is a success, we can save thousands of items from being wasted. We all have a responsibility to find solutions that minimise the environmental impact from our textile use,” says Norwegian’s Head of Sustainability, Anders Fagernæs.
“With this project, Norwegian, UNICEF Norway and Sisters in Business are helping to provide a sustainable solution to these problems – and by buying these products onboard, passengers will also be doing something positive for the environment, as well as helping children and contributing to job creation.”
TheDesignAir 