The Airline Emirates have turned advertising banners removed from the billboards into shopping bags, in one of the latest innovative recycling projects by a carrier.
Recently, the company took one of its 208 square meter PVC posters from a billboard at Zurich Airport and transformed it into over 300 reusable totes.
The image, a photo of an Emirates Cabin Crew member, was refurbished into a limited edition line of upcycled bags.
Ten workers at Feinschliff, a Swiss company that promotes long-term unemployed people returning to the labor market has executed the recycling efforts.
It took 27 minutes to assemble each bag with a process involving cutting and washing the poster and stitching on the 13 straps.
The completed accessories were then imprinted with the Where will you be tomorrow tagline of the company and handed out during an open air cinema screening in Zurich, in a recycling of the original advertising campaign.
A better way have been invented to dispose of a giant piece of PVC than by giving it new life as a shopping bag, perfect for the globetrotting people, said, Boutros Boutros, divisional senior vice-president, Corporate Communications Marketing and Brand, Emirates.
The initiative is in keeping with efforts by major airlines to be creative with their recycling.
Recently, Southwest Airlines launched the LUV Seat, recycled from the leather of 43 disused chair covers and in 2013 Air France-KLM transformed old staff uniforms into car insulation.