African community projects put Southwest Airlines’ leather to use
After downgrading the leather on its 737-700 aircraft to a synthetic alternative, US carrier Southwest Airlines is upcycling the 43 acres of leather into bags, balls and shoes.
It cites reduced weight as the reason behind the downgrade, claiming the weight of each aircraft has fallen by 600 pounds (270kg).
In Nairobi, Kenya, the project's pilot location, SOS Children's Villages Kenya along with Alive & Kicking, Masaai Treads and Life Beads Kenya, will use the leather to produce goods for local community groups.
Young people will receive paid apprenticeships and training to make shoes and footballs, which will then be donated to support education programmes that use sports to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention.
Other partners include TeamLift, a US-based non-profit. At a boarding school facility under construction in Malawi, TeamLift will develop a leather works training programme to teach entrepreneurial skills while generating proceeds needed to support the school.
