Press release - 17 December 2019 11:32

Norwegian upcycles uniforms into a series of new, sustainable products

Norwegian’s latest project with UNICEF Norway helps children, provides work for immigrant women and reduces the company’s environmental impact. By upcycling the company’s uniforms, thousands of items can be saved from landfills – a crucial move in the fight against textile waste.

In 2020, Norwegian will replace its uniform. To combat textile waste the airline has launched a new pilot project Still Travelling with Norwegian. Used uniforms will be upcycled into a series of new, sustainable products that will be sold onboard selected short-haul flights from Oslo.

Unique and handmade products

“Now that we are replacing some of our uniforms, it’s important that we look into a sustainable way to reuse the materials. We have partnered with a social enterprise based in Norway called Sisters in Business, which creates jobs for immigrant women through local textile production,” says Cecilie Nybø Carlsen, Norwegian’s VP Product Manager.

The project will launch with two items that have been made from Norwegian’s long-haul uniforms: a stylish, chequered toiletry bag and a beautiful silk clutch bag; both unique and handmade products. All the profit from the sale of these products will go towards supporting UNICEF’s work for children.

A crucial fight against textile waste
“If the project is a success, we can save thousands of items from being wasted. We all have a responsibility to find solutions that minimise the environmental impact from our textile use,” says Norwegian’s Head of Sustainability, Anders Fagernæs.

“With this project, Norwegian, UNICEF Norway and Sisters in Business are helping to provide a sustainable solution to these problems – and by buying these products onboard, passengers will also be doing something positive for the environment, as well as helping children and contributing to job creation,” Fagernæs continues.

Supporting several UN Sustainable Development Goals
“This is an incredibly exciting project,” says Camilla Viken, Secretary General of UNICEF Norway. “Yes, it will support UNICEF’s work around the world. And it will also support many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals; Fighting poverty, responsible consumption and production, gender equality, collaboration and climate change” she says

Sisters in Business founder Sandra Tollefsen explains that getting involved with projects like these helps immigrant women, who can “feel invisible” without a job, to play a positive role in society:

“It’s a transformation in these women’s lives – to have self-respect for themselves and for their families,” says Tollefsen. “They have friends here, they are not lonely anymore, they feel independent. It’s much, much more than a job for these women.”

Media contacts:

UNICEF: Communications Manager Nina Holand, tel: +47 482 21 75, email: Nina.holand@unicef.no
Sisters in Business: Founder Sandra Tollefsen, tel: +47 913 48 206, email: sandra@sistersinbusiness.no

Topics

Norwegian in the UK and Ireland:

Norwegian carries almost 6 million UK passengers each year from London Gatwick, Edinburgh and Manchester Airports to 30 destinations worldwide
Norwegian is the third largest airline at London Gatwick, with 4.6 million yearly passengers, and with more than 1,500 UK-based pilots and cabin crew
In 2014, Norwegian introduced the UK’s first low-cost, long haul flights to the U.S. - the airline now flies to 11 U.S destinations, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro from London Gatwick
Norwegian is the only airline to offer free inflight WiFi on UK flights to more than 30 European destinations and 13 long-haul destinations.
The airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the world with an average age of 3.8 years, including next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737-800s
Norwegian has been voted ‘Europe’s best low-cost carrier’ by passengers for six consecutive years at SkyTrax World Airline Awards from 2013-2018, along with being awarded the ‘World's best low-cost long-haul airline’ in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019
Norwegian Reward is the airline's free to join award-winning loyalty programme offering members CashPoints and Rewards that reduce the cost of Norwegian flights

Contacts

For journalists only

Press contact Norwegian Press Office press@norwegian.com +47 815 11 816

Marketing/sponsorhip requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Press contact Marketing/sponsorship requests: marketing@norwegian.com

Norwegian.com

The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2023, Norwegian carried over 20 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 87 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,500 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2023, the airline had 3.3 million passengers and a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 45 Bombardier Dash 8’s and three Embraer E190-E2's. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.

The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry.