CMF T RENDS
Beyond aesthetics LEFT: REWOOL,
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
NOVEMBER 2019 091
AOIFE CHALLIS, CMF DESIGNER AT ACUMEN HAS NOTED
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AS A KEY THEME, AND IS
ALREADY SEEING THE PRINCIPLES ENTER CABIN DESIGN
Climate change is reshaping aviation interior
design, with airlines and designers becoming
increasingly aware of their responsibilities to buy
and design products which are sustainably made.
People still need to fly, so to remain relevant to
passengers – who understand how the money
they spend can either contribute to or mitigate
further damage to the environment – the aviation
industry must move from linear models of ‘make,
use, dispose’ to circular models which reduce
waste and pollution through reuse of materials.
This means rethinking the design process, with
consideration for the lifecycle of materials beyond
their life as a product. We must design products
to be dismantled and recycled. To do this we
require systems which support these principles,
from conception to disassembly and reuse.
We are already seeing suppliers do this. For
example, Kvadrat has developed ReWool, a rich
textile made by repurposing scrap wool from
the yarn spinning process, which is reused to
produce a range of elegant fabrics, while Tarkett
is currently developing an aviation carpet which
is manufactured within a closed material loop.
The AIRA (Aircraft Interior Recycling
Association) is an initiative where seating and
cabin components are broken down, separated
and segregated into material feedstock
and recycled in an energy-efficient way.
As well as recycling products at the end of
their service life, AIRA is working with Boltaron
to capture waste plastic from the manufacturing
process and recycle it into a reusable material.
In order for new cabin products to be suitable
for recycling, their components must easily
separate; this is a fundamental feature which
needs to be factored in at the concept stage
of the design process. For instance, the Pitch
PF3000 seat has been designed in such a way
that its plastic mouldings easily separate from
the metal framework to allow all components
of the seat to be segregated for recycling.
‘Design for disassembly’ was a key theme at
Salone del Mobile this year too, as embodied
by the Costume seat for Magis (developed by
Diez Office). The seat cover wraps around the
form of the seat and is easily removed, making
it washable without degrading the quality of the
fit once refitted – extending the lifecycle of the
dress cover while also making it easier to recycle.
As we move forward, even more sustainably
made materials will be used on-board aircraft,
with the end goal being a cabin consisting solely
of recyclable and reusable materials.
KVADRAT’S REPURPOSED
SCRAP WOOL PRODUCT
BELOW: THE BARE
BASE OF THE MAGIS
COSTUME SEAT
RIGHT: THE COSTUME
SEAT DESIGNED BY BY
STEFAN DIEZ FOR MAGIS,
FITTED WITH A COVER
/aircraftinteriorsinternational.com