By Gwen OToole

Virgin Atlantic has teamed up with UK footwear and accessories company Worn Again for a project that will see the airline donate aircraft seat covers to create fashion handbags.

Worn Again has made its mark by using disused materials such as car seat belts and bicycle tyres to make fashion accessories. The Worn Again Virgin range includes 2000 limited edition bags made from approximately 1000 seats.

“Virgin Atlantic is committed to taking practical steps to make its business as sustainable as possible,” said Virgin Atlantic creative director, Lysette Gauna. “This is a fun and creative way to recycle our waste and we are sure these fabulous limited edition bags will be very popular as well as giving people the chance to own a little piece of Virgin Atlantic history.”

Waste reduction has become a large focus for the airline that has set an ambitious target to reduce their landfill waste from aircrafts by 50 per cent by 2012.