Bangkok Airways Upcycles Used Uniforms into Innovative Boutique Products
Bangkok Airways has ingeniously repurposed its used uniforms into a unique ensemble of new products using upcycling techniques. This environmentally-friendly initiative has breathed new life into staff and crew uniforms.
The initiative is a part of the world’s leading airlines’ commitment to achieving the 2050 Fly Net Zero Carbon Emissions targets.
Bangkok Airways has reaffirmed its commitment to a more sustainable future by endorsing the “Fly Net Zero 2050” campaign. This mission includes diverse projects.
The most recent is the ingenious upcycling of used Bangkok Airways staff uniforms, crafted into useful, repurposed products through a collaboration with Circular Industry Company Limited. The upcycled items range from aprons for airport lounge staff to cloth bags and water cup bags.
In all, Circular Industry processed 150 kilograms of used uniforms, color-sorting and processing them to produce new fabrics. The process avoids bleaching, so there is no negative impact on the environment, including PM2.5 particles that might occur when used uniforms dissolve. The used clothes became 300 new products, including aprons. The process saved an equivalent of 307.44 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to traditional methods of dissolving used clothes. Moreover, it also helps to save around 1,826 kilowatts/hour of electricity.
The Bangkok Airways “Drop Box” Initiative, Turning Trash Into Useful Fibers
Furthermore, Bangkok Airways has initiated a “Drop Box” project to engage its passengers in its sustainability journey. The Drop Box serves as a station for passengers to dispose of their used bottles or recyclable materials. The airline then processes Drop Box items per their waste management procedures. All plastic bottles in our drop box stations are handed over to the Circular Industry Company Ltd. for their plastic fiber conversion process. This will help utilize the recyclable materials and add value to what was once called “trash.” These Drop Box stations are installed at Bangkok Airways’ Boutique Lounges at Suvarnabhumi Airport, both Domestic and International.
Mrs. Ariya Prasarttong-Osoth, an Executive Committee member and Chairperson of Corporate Social Responsibility at Bangkok Airways PCL, emphasized the company’s dedication to reducing environmental impacts and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“We invited our staff to donate their used uniforms so that we can have those old uniforms transformed into new products through upcycling processes. This project promotes the idea of the circular economy. We take something already made and turn it into a new item for our business—a limited-edition apron for our airport lounge agents. It also emphasizes our ‘Love Earth – Save Earth’ campaign, where we focus on climate change management and waste management.”
Bangkok Airways’ “Connect Your Happiness” Sustainability Drive
Bangkok Airways’ sustainability slogan is “Connect Your Happiness,” which underlines the coordinated efforts of the entire value chain. The uniform upcycling project, a collaboration with Circular Industry Company Limited, avoided the use of harmful bleaching processes and repurposed 150 kilograms of used uniforms into 300 pieces of environmentally friendly products. This process not only reduced CO2 emissions but also saved around 1,826 kilowatts/hour of electricity.
Adding to the sustainability efforts, Bangkok Airways plans to implement the “Waste Segregation for Wonderful Benefits” project by installing waste-sorting bins in its boutique passenger lounges at Suvarnabhumi Airport and other airports under its management, encouraging waste separation and recycling.
Passengers who choose to fly with Bangkok Airways also contribute to the airline’s Environmental Initiatives, furthering the cause of sustainability.