Air
France is organizing a collection of old ground staff and crew
uniforms at Paris-Orly and Paris-Charles de Gaulle airports. This new
eco-friendly operation began on 21 January and runs until 15 March
2013. The uniforms collected from most of these staff concerned will
then be recycled into car insulation at a specialized recycling
plant.
This
innovative experiment is a first for Air France and may be renewed,
depending on the rate of participation. In the long-term, the company
aims to expand the operation to the 35,000 employees in uniform. The
estimated weight of the clothing collected is close to 30 tons, which
would equip 1,350 vehicles with insulation material made from
recycled fibers. This operation is being led by the Air France Purchasing division, in partnership with the CEPOVETT group (supplier of men’s uniforms) and SITA France, a subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT, which is providing the operational management (collection, logistics, sorting and transport to the recycling plant ). Employees who wish can also give their own personal clothing.
«With this new operation, Air France is once again demonstrating its commitment to sustai- nable development. The Company is contributing to the preservation of natural resources to make new products from recycled materials», said Sophie Virapin, VP for Environment and Sustainable Development at Air France.
