Trying to address the current need to make the aviation industry greener, Flowco, a startup of design and architecture inspired by ecological sustainability, and Almadesign, a design studio specialized in design for mobility, created Ecotiles, a new floor covering for the interior of the aircraft.
There was a need to create a material that could be replaced when damaged, but that could be easily recycled and reinserted into the cycle. Since only 80% of an aircraft by weight can be recycled, with the remaining portion ending up in landfill, and being the aeroplane interior a big challenge, a drastic change was urgent.
Flowco’s and Almadesign’s concept, the Ecotiles for aviation, is a new lightweight material for aircraft interiors made up using recycled raw materials, SBR rubber from shoe soles waste and sustainable processes that, overall,
reduce the environmental footprint, since it can be collected and recycled at the end of its life. It consists of a recycled rubber core covered with a resistant anti-slip and fire resistance top layer and self-adhesive backing that allows easy maintenance and application. Ecotiles are coverings with unique properties like impact absorption, non-slip, resistance and sound absorption. And have a 90% recycled sustainable footprint, which is great, when compared with the usual materials used in aircraft interiors.
Although they were created with aircraft interiors in mind, Flowco and Almadesign intend to broaden the use of this material to other mobility sectors such as the automotive and railway sectors.
