ecube, a Unical Group company, has set a baseline repeatable process for recycling end-of-life aircraft. The aircraft disassembly specialists and its partners were able to reuse, repurpose and recycle 83% of a British Airways Airbus A320 through a repeatable and industrialised process.
ecube says:
“This has been an enlightening project for all of us at ecube. Historically aircraft recycling projects have been theoretical. They’ve been modelled on what we think is possible, but not actually tested in practice. This project with BA is the first that is industrialised and therefore offers a repeatable baseline.”
British Airways says:
“This project with ecube supports our BA Better World circular economy strategy and has given us a baseline for our aircraft disposals. It has also provided clarity around how much of an aircraft it is possible to reuse, repurpose, or recycle.”
Typically, aircraft recycling projects have been modelled. This means they have not looked at actual data, which can lead to overly positive messages on recycling rates. This project is built on real-life results, which will allow the industry to measure its progress.
The ecube project recorded the process of the aircraft from arrival to recycling. ecube’s approach was to:
- Weigh the aircraft on landing.
- Document each stage of disassembly.
- Record parts for potential reuse in the flying fleet.
- Identify sections to repurpose for training or memorabilia.
- Log the recyclable hull materials.
- Note the materials that had to go to waste / disposal.
The involvement of companies from different parts of the industry ensured that this was a rigorous and comprehensive investigation. ecube’s method was approved by Beyondly, a B Corp environmental compliance scheme and consultancy. Beyondly says:
“Beyondly has approved the validity of ecube’s repeatable process. We can confirm the integrity of ecube’s data and method, which has created a process built on real-life results”.
ecube worked to AFRA’s best practice guidelines for disassembly (Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association). The team at AFRA comments:
“We want to take the findings of this project and use them to promote the circular economy in our industry. The aim is to create a coherent standard to work to”.
Aethos stimulates sustainable solutions for recycling of aircraft materials. They said about the project:
“This project has performed a much needed first measurement. The key insight for us is that already 70% of the material can be recycled in line with AFRA’s recyclability rate formula. Our goal is to bring the recycling of aircraft material to a next level. This project has shown what is possible”.
Unical Aviation adds:
“This project is a milestone not just for ecube, but for the entire aviation supply chain. At Unical, we rely on high-quality, responsibly sourced USM to keep fleets flying around the world. A repeatable and data-driven process like this helps us—and the industry—ensure that every aircraft reaches its full value potential at end-of-life.”
ecube concluded:
“This is just a start! We want to engage with companies across the aviation industry to see how we can improve upon the 83%. We’d also like to thank the team at British Airways and ecube, along with all our partners who have been involved in this project”.
