The mission of Nashville-based nonprofit Turnip Green Creative Reuse (TGCR) is to foster creativity and sustainability through reuse. Repurpose with Purpose is Southwest Airlines' global sustainability initiative that upcycles items such as leather seat coverings and transforms them into new products. We knew the sky would be the limit when we invited TGCR to join Southwest’s portfolio of Repurpose with Purpose partners!
As part of the partnership, in 2021 Southwest provided a grant to support The Turnip S.E.A.T project, a TGCR project that focuses on sustainability, education, arts, and transformation. TGCR has repurposed more than 120,000 pounds of Southwest Airlines leather seat covers providing creative, empowering, and environmental opportunities for the middle Tennessee community.
The seat covers were woven into all aspects of TGCR’s service offerings including their creative reuse center, open studio, educational outreach, and green gallery as well as Turnip Seed, their pop-up community and sculpture garden which houses two shipping containers that both store the leather and feature the Repurpose with Purpose Gallery, showcasing local artisan works made with the leather.
TGCR has been able to provide employment opportunities, hands-on creative learning opportunities for Metropolitan Nashville Public School students and built a community of artisans utilizing repurposed leather seat covers provided by Southwest. Check out the video to learn more about TGCR.
If you are interested in supporting TGCR and exploring items made from Southwest seat covers, visit their online marketplace at https://www.turnipgreencreativereuse.org/repurpose
