An initiative to make airplanes more eco-friendly is off to a positive start after the completion of its pilot program.
The project is a yearlong collaboration between global aircraft manufacturer Airbus and Circularise, a Netherlands-based supply chain software platform. It involved the use of Digital Product Passports (DPP) within the interior cabins of airplanes, as detailed in a recent EIN Presswire release shared by WJBF NewsChannel 6 in Augusta, Ga.
Airplanes release carbon pollutants. These pollutants can cause significant harmful effects on the climate and our well-being, wildlife, weather, and wallets. Though many are working to make flying more sustainable, according to Our World in Data, aviation "is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize" and is "behind the curve" compared to other hazardous industries like electricity, heating, and ground transportation.
Could aviation reduce toxic pollution from the ground instead? Recycling an airplane's parts eliminates waste pollution caused by landfills (which also release poisonous leaks and gases). However, aircraft cabin interiors pose reuse problems due to their many tough-to-track components.
Circularise's DPP provides a tech-based solution by tracking and storing data on every part of the cabin. To do so, noted the release, Circularise and Airbus connected with other companies stationed throughout the aircraft's supply chain, "enabling comprehensive traceability" from original materials to disassembly and disposal.
Circularise founder Mesbah Sabur explained in the release that the DPP "is a key tool in understanding and improving the lifecycle management of aircraft components." Making this information so extensive, dynamic, and accessible improves awareness about what materials are sourced and exactly where they go after installation.
The program supports corporations like Airbus in seeking out more sustainable construction materials, reusing components to enhance circularity (aka prolonging product life cycles), and recycling applicable parts upon aircraft retirement — all of which reduce waste pollution.
The DPP's detailed recordkeeping also increases transparency, holding companies accountable for any promised eco-friendly practices, no matter their place in the supply chain.
Business leaders commended the effective proof of concept. "A great achievement," reads one comment on a Circularise LinkedIn announcement.
It's a hopeful sign that these kinds of innovative initiatives will continue to take flight, building a cleaner aviation industry and a world worth traveling. But until then, consider swapping the skies for a more scenic, sustainable road trip.
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