Emirates To Donate Upcycled Children’s Backpacks for World Environment Day

In celebration of World Environment Day, Emirates is set to repurpose over 50,000 kilograms of materials from 191 aircraft undergoing cabin interior upgrades, creating thousands of handmade children’s backpacks. These unique backpacks, made from upcycled aircraft interiors, will be donated to community schools and organizations supporting early education across Africa and Asia this year.

Innovative Upcycling Initiative

Emirates’ Engineering team has embarked on a mission to minimize waste by repurposing materials from the Economy Class seats of 22 Airbus A380 aircraft. A total of 5,205 kilograms of scrap materials, including seat fabric composed of 95% wool and 5% nylon, were recovered. Recognized for their durability and non-flammable properties, these materials were deemed perfect for crafting high-quality backpacks for children in need.

Crafting a Better Future

A dedicated team of tailors at Emirates Engineering has designed a range of backpacks suitable for children of different ages. Collaborating with the Emirates Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand team, they have identified charitable entities, schools, orphanages, and foundations where these backpacks will be distributed in the coming months.

Extensive research ensured that the bags are safe, comfortable, and fit for purpose. All fabrics are freshly laundered and deep cleaned, leather accents are conditioned, and the materials are thoroughly disinfected before being sewn into unique pieces. The backpacks feature new linings, functional zippers, and adjustable straps, resulting in a range of sturdy, quality bags made to order for worthy causes across Africa and Asia.

From Aircraft Interiors to Schoolbags

In the Emirates Engineering workshop, a team of tailors—officially titled Engineering Maintenance Assistants—assemble and stitch the bags. These tailors, who usually repair tears in the interiors of Emirates’ vast aircraft fleet, are now using their skills to produce schoolbags for students across Emirates’ network.

A Multi-Billion Dollar Retrofit Project

The world’s largest retrofit project, initiated by Emirates in August 2022, involves a multibillion-dollar investment to refit 191 aircraft, including 110 Airbus A380s and 81 Boeing 777s. This project not only enhances the customer experience but also aims to recover up to 50,000 kilograms of waste fabrics for repurposing and upcycling.

From the 22 retrofitted Airbus A380 aircraft, materials from First and Business Class cabins such as leather, aluminium, and wool have already been repurposed. The “Aircrafted by Emirates” range, a limited-edition capsule collection of luggage launched in November 2023, sold out quickly. Proceeds from this not-for-profit collection amounted to over 70,000 AED, which were donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation supporting humanitarian projects globally.

Continuing Commitment to Sustainability

Managed entirely by Emirates’ Engineering team, the retrofit project will take years to complete, offering numerous opportunities for upcycling. This project will see the installation of 21,814 Economy seats, 8,104 new Premium Economy seats, 1,894 refurbished First Class suites, and over 11,182 new-generation Business Class seats. Emirates’ commitment to sustainability continues with plans for more creative upcycling initiatives in the future.