AK-Service has launched a New Life recycling project at its factory in Russia designed to show its commitment to the environment within its well-established business practices.
The project ensures used onboard products are taken back into the production facility and recycled to create completely new goods. This project has allowed the business to diversify into new markets, in particular the market for cattle rugs – used in agriculture!
AK-Service is the first company in Russia to launch such a project and managing director, Aleksandr Ferents, say: “This is a great step forward, and will become one of the largest projects we have ever launched.”
The goal is to recycle used products from amenity kits to decrease waste and environmental impacts, and cut products sent to landfill.
The project sees AK-Service and its airline clients starting to set up the recycling process in three key steps. Firstly collection and logistics: cleaning companies are collecting left products and AK Service collects the. Then sorting and recycling: in-house staff are sorting by material types sending some to special recycling companies, and the rest to be repurposed in the company’s own factory.
Finally the “New life” for products are created: recycled plastic becomes production packages such as containers, boxes and pallets; while the soles of slippers are used to produce mats for cattle, which are supplied to agricultural enterprises and farms.
The first pilot test of the “New Life” project has begun and the scheme will be rolled out further in the coming year. Ferents adds: “Responsible consumption and production including recycling, repurposing and caring for the environment are only just developing but people are becoming more and more conscious of this and we believe our clients all over the world will support this project. Together we will be able to make a substantial contribution of saving the planet.”
