Southwest Airlines has debuted a “Green Plane”, a Boeing 737-700 that will be a test environment for environmentally responsible materials and Customer comfort products.

Says Gary Kelly, Southwest’s Chairman, President, and CEO:

“Southwest is proud to lead the aviation industry in environmental stewardship and honored to be working with these eco-friendly vendors and our partners at Boeing. We are excited to test their forward-thinking products and expect these green products to not only help the environment, but also create a fuel and materials cost saving for Southwest.”

Among the eco-friendly products that will be tested on the green plane include:

• InterfaceFLOR Carpet – The 100 percent recyclable, carbon neutral carpet is returned to the manufacturer at the end of its service life and completely re-manufactured into new carpet.

• Seat covers – Two new products offer more than twice the durability than the current leather seats and  a weight savings of almost two pounds per seat.

• e-Leather – This eco-friendly, lightweight and scuff resistant man-made alternative to traditional leather is made from recycled materials discarded by the leather industry.

• IZIT Leather – A  new breed of premium leather alternative, this product is lightweight, economical and durable.

• Life Vest Pouch – This product offers a weight savings of one pound per passenger.

• Foam Fill – A lighter weight fill in the back of the seats reduces weight while providing increased Customer comfort.

On Nov. 1, Southwest will also launch a more robust onboard recycling program, which will allow the airline to recycle more material.

Image courtesy of Southwest Airlines