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Fishing for Weight Savings: Recaro Pushes Seating Sustainability

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Reducing the weight of seats is a critical component of every airline’s efforts to improve sustainability in an aircraft cabin. But it is not the only angle.

Recaro first revealed its R Sphere sustainability program in 2024 as a Crystal Cabin Awards nominee. Rather than only focusing on weight, R Sphere included other areas of seat design and manufacturing, aiming to improve the overall lifecycle efficiency of its offering. A year later (and many years into the program’s development), some of those options are now ready to fly.

Gone Fishin’

Sometimes it is helpful to think outside the box when it comes to material choice. For the R1 and R2 economy class lines, that manifests in the form of a literature pocket made from recycled fishing nets rather than newly spun mesh fabric.

Comparing two sets of seatbacks where the only visible difference in the mesh netting is the color.
The traditional mesh (top) and upcycled fishing net (bottom) options are nearly identical functionally, though the color of the fishing net is unique

This concept was introduced as part of R Sphere and, to be honest, I thought it was unlikely to be certified or fly. Turns out I was wrong. The company has customers secured and expects it to be on seats delivered later this year.

Certification is managed, in large part, by the original manufacturer’s material specifications which is typically still attached the net when Recaro acquires it. Which is not to say the process is easy, but it is doable. A single net can typically cover one or two airplanes worth of seatback pockets.

The fishing net option is also unique in color. The burgundy tone comes as a result of the cleaning process and will not change. Violina Mikova, a project manager focused on Recaro’s sustainability efforts, is resistant to changing that via a dying process. After all, the point is to improve sustainability. Plus, she believes the color will become a selling point for the airlines, highlighting that their product is a bit different from the competition.

Plastics

The end cap for each row of seats can now be fitted with a walnut veneer rather than the traditional plastic. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing, but Mikova notes it is a lighter option for the seat.

Like the other improvements, this one came with certification challenges, including the anti-flammability coating. But with EASA satisfied the option will be made available to airlines.

Comparing two seats, with one using a wood grain insert and the other using plastic
Walnut or plastic? The wooden endcap is lighter and prettier, plus reduces total plastic components on board

The end cap is but a tiny part of the overall plastics inventory on board. Recaro is working to further reduce the waste associated with the many other areas where plastic is involved.

Some of that efficiency and savings comes from working more closely with airlines and designers. The color of the plastic impacts the production process, for example. In some cases 20-30% of the material produced is rejected because of color match issues.

Recycling that plastic is an option, but it typically is no longer usable in the seat structure as the additional processing causes it to come up short on the safety testing. But that does not mean it leaves the aircraft. Recaro has seen it used to make meal trays for catering or stowage boxes, among other uses. Similarly, some colors are harder to certify in the flame retardant testing, leading to increased waste.

Recaro is also pursuing options to include wood chips or cork in the injection molding process to reduce weight and total plastic content on board. This concept is not new – catering suppliers have been doing it with cutlery for several years now. Expanding it to other parts of the cabin, however, could help reduce plastic volumes in the cabin and improve the overall sustainability lifecycle of the components.

A Lighter Sprint

While weight reduction is not the only angle, it remains an important one. To that end Recaro is updating its “SPRINT” line, often used by lessors during aircraft transitions or in other situations where a simple seating option needs to be deployed quickly and cost-effectively. The current BL3530 SPRINT will be replaced by the R2 SPRINT from Q3 2025.

The R2 SPRINT comes with the same 8-week delivery promise as the prior version while dropping 15% of the weight. The timeline can be further cut to as short as two weeks in some scenarios. The company keeps five fully built ship sets – but lacking the dress covers – ready to go in China to speed delivery. Another two are always available in the USA.

The R2 SPRINT weighs in at 15% less than its predecessor, plus adds options like power ports
The R2 SPRINT weighs in at 15% less than its predecessor, plus adds options like power ports

Comfort and design tweaks are also in play. The SPRINT line now includes a power ports as an option, for example. That’s not an efficiency play, per se. But keeping the lighter seats on board longer, rather than quickly swapping them out for a more feature-rich set when the planes are redelivered, is yet another way the company hopes to improve the broader sustainability efforts.

These sustainable options do come with a cost. Mikova says the company aims to keep that difference below 10%, while not sharing any specific pricing. Even with that, the company is securing orders. It is clear there is demand for these improved offerings.

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About Seth Miller

Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.

He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.

You can connect with Seth via email, on Bluesky, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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