CIRCULAR ECONOMY
EMMA PARTRIDGE, HEAD OF CMF AT TANGERINE HAS
NOTED AN INCREASE IN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
IN THE MATERIALS SECTOR AND IS HOPING TO PIONEER
LOW-CARBON AIRCRAFT CABINS
For many years aircraft interior design has
sought to be refined and polished. However, there
has recently been a substantial change towards
a more natural and unrefined look and feel in
the cabin.
This shift is being driven by peoples’
heightened interest in sustainability
and increased awareness of the adverse
consequences of global warming, with many
of us experiencing first-hand extreme weather
patterns this summer.
An ambition to be sustainable is influencing
how material suppliers produce materials, with
many now re-using the by-products of their
manufacturing processes to limit waste. This is
being informed by a concept called the ‘circular
economy’, which is based on the principles of
‘designing out’ waste and pollution, keeping
products and materials in use, and regenerating
natural systems.
At a recent exhibition in the Victoria and
Albert Museum in London, there were some
outstanding examples of biomaterials that have
been developed by designers. For example, the
company ‘Chips Board’ showcased a range of
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088 NOVEMBER 2019
industrial processing compatible bioplastics made
from potato waste that are durable, recyclable
and biodegradable.
An increased focus on environmental
protection is also slowly shifting people’s
aesthetic tastes away from heavily fabricated
products and materials, to those that are natural
and minimalistic. At Milan Design Week 2019
there was a big presence of foliage and natural
materials within interior environments, which
were being harmonised with furniture elements
to encourage a feeling of well-being within
interior spaces and a greater affinity with nature.
As a major contributor to global C02 emissions,
the aviation industry and its supply chain
must shoulder its share of the responsibility to
reduce its contribution to global warming. We
would like to work with partners in the aviation
industry to encourage the development of
sustainable material solutions and help pioneer
low-carbon cabins.
The desire and passion throughout the aviation
supply chain is there. The big challenge though
will be to find ways to develop materials that can
be approved for certification on board aircraft.
CMF T RENDS
LEFT: THE CANAPALITHOS
BIOMATERIAL BY BAARS &
BLOEMHOFF IS MADE
FROM HEMP GRASS
BELOW: THE CHIPSBOARD
RANGE OF BIOPLASTICS
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