Women and Men Drive Circular Economy with Recycled Airplane Leather

• A group of entrepreneurial individuals successfully completed the Repurpose with Purpose program from Southwest Airlines, in partnership with CATIE, demonstrating that sustainability and innovation can be beneficial.

CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) celebrated the graduation of 10 participants from the Repurpose with Purpose projecton April 11th. This pioneering initiative by Southwest, in partnership with CATIE, promotes the reuse of airplane seat leather in the crafting of leather goods.

This program not only represents a step forward in applying the principles of the circular economy, but also underscores CATIE’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically in ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The graduates, eight women and two men from the community of Turrialba, have completed an intensive program of at least 40 sessions, where they learned advanced techniques in leather goods design and production.

The CATIE program coordinator, Eliécer Vargas, highlighted the importance of this achievement: "Today we recognize and congratulate the effort of these entrepreneurs, who have not only expanded their skills but have also contributed to a greater cause, that of promoting environmental sustainability through reuse."

Luis Pocasangre, the general director of CATIE, congratulated the graduates on their achievement and highlighted the global impact of the initiative: "What you are doing has not only stayed within CATIE and Turrialba but has crossed borders and is an example to follow. We are making the best use of some materials that, otherwise, could cause even more problems for our environment."

The program has also played a crucial role in fostering entrepreneurship, especially among women, and in creating jobs in rural communities by offering a viable and ecological alternative for the use of discarded materials. In addition to promoting education and the development of local skills, Repurpose with Purpose project is a testament to the power of collaboration between educational and corporate entities in the search for sustainable solutions.

The graduation ceremony also included special thanks to Southwest, a fundamental partner of CATIE for the development and success of the program.

CATIE hopes to continue leading projects of this kind, which not only train skilled professionals but also promote practices that benefit the planet and its inhabitants.