United - Banner Upcycling

United - Banner Upcycling

United has joined Air France , Emirates, Southwest and others in the industry in the upcycling movement, giving otherwise discarded materials a useful second life.

When the Chicago Department of Aviation changed the size of banner advertisements allowed at Chicago O’Hare, more than 20 United fabric banners were unusable. Rather than see these ads fill trash heaps, the airline’s Eco-Skies team chose to partner with students at Columbia College Chicago’s Fashion School and Re::New—a nonprofit Chicago-area manufacturer that employed refugee women living in the United States—and challenged them to design and fabricate a travel bag using only upcycled materials from the banner ads (video).

The winning designs were chosen by a committee of representatives from Re::new, the Chicago Department of Aviation, and United. Each showcased the airline’s Fly the Friendly Skies imagery and elements of the United brand on the exterior.

United sold the bags through its United Shop, with proceeds benefiting Re::New and United’s Eco-Skies CarbonChoice project in the Alto Mayo region of Peru.

“United is committed to operating sustainably and responsibly, and that means finding creative ways to further reduce our impact on the environment,” said the airline’s Managing Director of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Angela Foster-Rice. “As part of our Eco- Skies commitment, we are excited to give these banners a second life, and know our customers will enjoy taking home a piece of the friendly skies.”