Turnip Green Creative Reuse and Southwest Airlines established a partnership in May 2021 as part of the airline’s Repurpose with Purpose program. Repurpose with Purpose is a global sustainability initiative in which Southwest Airlines upcycles decommissioned airplane parts by providing them to organizations that work with artisans to transform them into new products. Through Repurpose with Purpose, Southwest Airlines supports communities by helping to provide employment, skills training, and donated materials.

Turnip S.E.A.T.—an acronym for sustainability, education, arts, and transformation—started as a 12-month initiative in which TGCR received routine shipments of seat leather and cushions from retired airplanes. Due to the initial success of the initiative, the partnership is ongoing! TGCR staff works with the community to deconstruct and clean the seat leather so that the material can be repurposed, providing employment opportunities. This valuable material is available at our Creative Reuse Center for shoppers, and through programs developed with TGCR staff, it is used to create art kits for Metro Nashville Public Schools students, to provide materials for leather working workshops in our Open Studio, and to offer a line of leather bags and accessories made by local and regional artisans for our Green Gallery and Marketplace. The impact of this project engages TGCR’s core areas of environmentalism, education, and the arts to transform everything from seat covers to the lives of students, artists, and community members we serve through workforce development, creative learning opportunities for underinvested youth, and community building and investment.

Repurpose with Purpose benefits our creative community in a myriad of ways, and we are grateful to be able to offer employment opportunities and support Southwest’s efforts to reduce waste by diverting valuable materials from the landfill. Creativity can truly take flight with Southwest and TGCR!

Through the craftsmanship of seven local artists, Southwest seat leather has transformed into bags, wallets, and other goods. These items are available for purchase at the Creative Reuse Center as well as the online S.E.A.T. Shop!