By James Murray, Source: BusinessGreen

Virgin Atlantic may have attracted the ire of environmentalists over Richard Branson’s controversial plans to start operating UK domestic flights, but passengers can at least rest assured the company’s recycling strategy is making impressive progress.

The airline announced yesterday that it has become the latest company to exploit the emergence of new fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, with the introduction of new amenity kits made from 100 per cent recycled materials.

The new kits have been developed following six months of research and design and will be made available to Upper Class and Premium Economy customers, providing them with a re-usable e-reader case or travel wallet, as well as socks, eyeshades, a toothbrush and earplugs.

The company said the cases have been made using recycled PET (rPET) material, which turns plastic bottles into a workable yarn, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill and delivering a carbon footprint that is 90 per cent lower than that of nylon.

Developers of rPET are experiencing growing demand with a number of high-profile firms using the material to replace conventional nylon. Most notably, sportswear giants Nike has launched a number of football shirt ranges made from recycled plastic bottles in recent years.

The airline said it expected the new kits to result in four million bottles being recycled each year, adding that amenity kits that are not taken by customers for re-use will either be re-used by the airline or recycled by the company’s recycling contractor, MNH Sustainable Cabin Services.

MNH provides Virgin Atlantic with a range of recycling services and according to the company it helped divert nearly 700 tonnes of cabin waste from landfill last year by identifying recycling or re-use opportunities for used products such as amenity kits, headsets and pillows.

“Our passengers love receiving their amenity kits and it’s the little extra touches that make all the difference,” said Paul Sands, head of product and service for Virgin Atlantic in a statement. “At the same time, we are passionate as an airline about making sure everything we do is reviewed through a sustainability lens. These kits not only look great but also have a better sustainability profile.”

A spokeswoman for the company confirmed there were no plans currently to offer the new kits to economy customers, but revealed that the plastic bags used for economy class amenity kits are also made from recycled plastic.

The new kits form a small part of Virgin’s wide-ranging “Change is in the Air” sustainability programme, which is primarily focused on meeting the airline’s target of reducing carbon emissions per mile travelled by 30 per cent between 2007 and 2020.

The company claims to be making good progress towards the target through improved aircraft efficiency, optimised route planning and Branson’s high-profile investment in the development of sustainable aviation biofuels.