Over the past few years many airlines have been reducing their fleet size in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, sending aircraft for scrap earlier than anticipated and opting for smaller more fuel efficient aircraft.
The aircraft that have reached the end of their service life have continued to be scrapped and recycled into other products, either being turned into raw materials for new aircraft or made into baked bean cans.
There has been an explosion of websites and online ventures selling aircraft parts and memorabilia to a growing worldwide audience of aviation enthusiasts, we previously reviewed another such venture.
Earlier this year a new aviation parts brand was born, known as Retailored, the website specialises in repurposing aircraft seatbelts into stylish but functional belts. Available in a range of colours these belts are completely made from recycled parts; the buckle from the aircraft, and the main belt from recycled clothing materials. A truly sustainable brand making use of what would normally be waste products.
Their launch product is from British Airways Boeing 777-200 G-ZZZA, the aircraft first flew in February 1995 making the aircraft 27 years old when it was finally dismantled at St Athan in April 2022.
Retailored’s mission is to reduce waste and “fast fashion” through repurposing aircraft materials which would typically be discarded and possibly end up in landfill, each product is unique and completely genuine and shows the history of these unique items.
We hope there will be more products to come in the future and will keep an eye on this new online venture, visit their website at https://retailored.co.uk/ to discover more and grab yourself a unique aviation belt.
Simon has been writing aviation articles for nearly 10 years and is the senior article writer at Fresh Aviation, with a background in aviation and a commercial pilot Simon knows his stuff in the aviation world. Simon has spoken on BBC Radio, contributed to Bristol Post and has various aviation articles on various websites.