ANA HOLDINGS INC. announced a new product launch from the ANA Up-cycle Project, a creative initiative to develop upcycled products using aircraft parts and uniforms.
The limited-edition ANA house slippers were developed with Onward Trading Co., Ltd., an apparel company. The two companies teamed up as part of ANA’s Future Promise and “Onward’s Re-make-up Project” which aims to help alleviate the apparel industry’s massive textile disposal problem. ANA Group and Onward Trading Co., Ltd. channeled their shared desire to reduce waste into a joint effort to develop an appealing product made from the usable portions of seat covers that had become faded, torn or otherwise unsuitable for aircraft use.
“This product is a true collaboration, with the initial project idea designed by ANA employees as part of an internal proposal program”, said Junko Yazawa Executive Vice President, Customer Experience Management & Planning of ANA.
“We are honored to work with Onward Trading Co., Ltd. to bring together both our missions and create a product that aligns with our customers values but also sets an example for sustainability initiatives in the airline industry.”
ANA seat covers are manufactured under strict control and maintained and cleaned regularly. Rather than discarding covers that need to be replaced, the project turns them into comfortable slippers in ANA’s signature dark blue color. These products are carefully handmade one by one by craftsmen at a factory in Yamagata Prefecture, which produces the largest number of slippers in Japan. They visually check the seat covers that can be made into slippers, and molding, cutting, and sewing are all done by hand to take out the best of the fabric and assure the highest quality.
As the available fabric used for the house slippers depend on the amount of discarded seat covers, ANA Group will start by selling 50 pairs, and in the future, various types of house slippers will be developed with different patterns depending on the available seat covers. Starting today, ANA Group will begin reservation lottery sales of “ANA’s Special House Slippers” online: ANA UP-CYCLE PROJECT SHOP*
*only in Japanese and sold only within Japan.
Prior to the launch of the ANA Up-cycle Project, ANA Group released its handmade bags created from recycled maintenance staff clothing. These bags, in collaboration with ROOTOTE, a brand specializing in tote bags, were first offered on May 30, 2022 and sold out within 9 hours. Due to the availability of fabrics, so far, these bags have been sold three times: on May 30, June 6 and August 1.
ANA employees first proposed the ideas for the totes and slippers, and other suggestions are sure to come for the ANA Up-cycle Project in the future. ANA Group will continue efforts to make effective use of resources and reduce waste to create an environmentally friendly and sustainable society.
