Generation Global announced on May 16 the launch of GENCYCLE+, a new circular economy solution designed to prevent aircraft seat covers and cushions from ending up in landfills. The New Zealand-based company, which specializes in aircraft seat covers, cushions, and interior soft goods, unveiled the program at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.
The introduction of GENCYCLE+ is intended to address sustainability concerns within the aviation industry by providing a recycling and upcycling process for used aircraft interiors. The initiative allows airlines to send old soft furnishing covers and cushions—including dress covers made from both natural and synthetic leathers, velcro, fireblocker materials, and more—to be processed into recycled raw materials. These are then remanufactured into new products for use in airline refurbishment projects.
Jared Steyaert, Generation Global vice president of global sales, explained how the process works: “Airlines decide they want to do a refurbishment program due to re-branding, refresh updates, etc. They will then strip the old soft furnishing covers and cushions from their aircraft. This can include all elements from dress covers (both natural and synthetic leathers), cushions, velcro, fireblocker, etc., and can be from any existing livery, not just GEN’s product. No hard plastic, composite or metals can be sent back in.” Steyaert said that Generation Global arranges pickup and transport to a partner recycling facility where “the used products and parts are then processed and turned into a raw fibre material that is then compressed and formed into new foam blocks that then get cut and shaped to be used for backrest and headrest cushions as new products.”
According to Steyaert: “These new foam blocks can be engineered and manufactured to have a wide range of densities exactly like standard commercially used PU or graphite foams would. These various densities can be used to then make new backrest and headrest cushions as needed for the airline’s refurbishment needs.” He added that once these recycled cushions reach end-of-life again they may also be returned for continued recycling.
Generation Global describes GENCYCLE+ as cost neutral since “the cost of recycling and remanufacturing is balanced against the cost of producing new cushions with no additional expense to the airline.” The company says this approach avoids unnecessary CO₂ emissions associated with disposal while integrating seamlessly into existing supply chains.
Looking ahead, Generation Global believes its GENCYCLE+ program offers airlines an opportunity “to move beyond sustainability statements toward tangible environmental outcomes.”
