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Turning old into new: the Upcycling Revolution
Everyone is talking about upcycling at the moment. But what exactly is Upcycling?
Upcycling is the process of giving a disused item a new life cycle. It is particularly useful if the manufactured product has a practical use, as is the case with our Aviationtags. Upcycling not only helps to conserve resources, but also to protect nature and the climate. Upcycling is therefore the exact opposite of trends such as fast fashion and the development towards a throwaway society.
The term upcycling first appeared publicly in 1994, when engineer Reiner Pilz called for the reuse of waste in the British magazine Salvo. His call against waste did not go unheard and led to the emergence of the upcycling trend. Although industrialized societies tend to remain in throwaway mode, the motto “make new from old” finally caught on and became a megatrend that expresses individuality: upcycling is creative and unique.
Upcycling since 2006
We have been active in the upcycling sector with bordbar since 2006 and are considered one of the pioneers and trailblazers in this segment. It all started with disused airplane trolleys, which we have been transforming into individual design furniture for 18 years now.
Since 2016, we have also been upcycling parts of disused aircraft into Aviationtags.
Many projects have taken place since then. Among others, aircraft parts from Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Etihad Airways have been upcycled to delight aviation enthusiasts and collectors with these unique pieces.
The Lufthansa Upcycling Collection
The Lufthansa Upcycling Collection is certainly a flagship project here. Aviationtag was one of Lufthansa's first partners in this long-term project. A good 93% of the entire aircraft from the first Airbus A340-600 (D-AIHO) was upcycled and recycled. This was only possible thanks to the meticulous separation of all components of the aircraft, such as aluminum, copper, glass and rubber. Consistent recycling coupled with the use of aircraft sheet metal for Aviationtags, among other things, made this outstanding rate of 93% possible in the first place.
But of course we can not only upcycle aviation materials. With our many years of experience as upcycling pioneers, we can also provide advice and assistance to other industries. Upcycling is not only extremely important for climate protection, but also underlines the seriousness of your company's efforts to protect resources.
If you have exciting projects in your company, please do not hesitate to contact us.
