Virgin Atlantic Turns 4 Million Plastic Bottles Into Amenity Kits

Only yesterday, Virgin Atlantic made it public news that, in an attempt to further cut down on its ecological footprint, the company is to start handing out amenity kits made from recycled plastic bottles.

The technological process behind manufacturing these green-oriented is fairly simple, which is probably why it only took six months to come up with the first working prototype of such an amenity kit.

To cut a long story short, the plastic bottles that would otherwise go to waste are collected and turned into a workable yarn.

According to Business Green, opting for this environmentally friendly yarn rather than for nylon is bound to translate into a highly diminished carbon footprint.

Should things go as planned, roughly four million plastic bottles could be recycled on an yearly basis, and further environmental benefits could be obtained if, once the passengers no longer use these kits, Virgin Atlantic collects them and recycles them once more.

Commenting on this project, Paul Sands, presently employed as head of product and service for this company, made a case of how, “Our passengers love receiving their amenity kits and it's the little extra touches that make all the difference.”

“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,” he went on to explain.

Although it is true that, for the time being at least, such amenity kits will only be made available for those traveling either in the Upper Class or in the Premium Economy, the fact remains that the results of this campaign are fairly commendable and noteworthy as far as environmental protection is concerned.

Just for the record, Virgin Atlantic is also working towards greening up its agenda with the help of biofuels and by pushing for fuel efficiency.