recycling centers across the globe to deal with end-of-life planes in an environmentally friendly manner. AFRA has since grown, and as of 2022 consisted of 80 members which include stakeholders in all aspects of the aircraft recycling process from manufacturers to materials recyclers. In 2013, Southwest Airlines created a recycling and community initiative, “Repurpose with Purpose,” to upcycle the leather seat covers from their planes and provide economic opportunities for various vulnerable groups. The airline partnered with non-profit organizations that work with veterans, the disabled and victims of trafficking to turn the used leather into products such as soccer balls, shoes and jewelry. Since starting the program, over 900,000 pounds of leather have been recycled. It is estimated that by 2040, about 44% of planes currently in the global fleet will retire from service; this will include over 13,000 commercial, military and private aircraft. In addition to an increase in recycled parts available from recent recycling efforts, blockchain technology has led to new ways in which recycled parts can be bought and sold. In 2019, Honeywell Aerospace introduced an online marketplace for aerospace parts called GoDirect Trade that uses blockchain to authenticate and trace the history of parts. The market for aircraft parts was valued at $5.4 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow to $7.7 billion by 2026. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in the number of planes being scrapped and sent to junkyards. In 2020, 440 commercial jetliners were scrapped, which was a 15% decline from 2019. In 2021, the number continued to decrease another 30% from 2020. Additionally, the price of used planes decreased; before the pandemic, a used aircraft could be sold for $7–8 million, the price has since dropped to about $2 million. The decreased demand for used airplanes has resulted in lower prices. Raw materials Retired aircraft have on average 800 to 1000 components that can be repurposed through recycling. The major aircraft materials to be recycled are metal alloys and composite materials. Aluminum alloys Aluminum alloys are used in aircraft structures, accounting for 80% of the aircraft’s total weight. They are commonly used in the fuselage, wing, and supporting structure of aircraft because they are resistant to corrosion and have a good strength to weight ratio. Aluminum that is used in aircraft is commonly mixed with copper, lithium, magnesium, manganese, silicon, silver, and zinc to form alloys. The