Jessica Alba and Southwest Airlines went green this week

Although I doubt Jessica Alba has ridden a Southwest airline flight since her ability to look good partially naked  superb acting skills put her on the map, she does have something in common with the airline.

This week, the two announced their green initiatives. Alba announced her eco-friendly children products line and Southwest announced the renovation of its planes using green materials.

The Honest Company was founded by Alba, who claimed she was tired of trying to find products for daughters, Honor and Haven, that are safe and environmentally friendly.  The website sells diapers, cleaners and soaps. This includes things such as bubble bath, sunscreen, dish shop and laundry detergent that are made with non-toxic ingredients. The Honest Company also uses raw, sustainable material for diaper production. Click here to see all of the specific eco-friendly ways that Alba’s company is going green.

Southwest Airlines announced a revamping of its Boeing 737-700 aircrafts. The process will start in March and be finished by the end of 2013, according to a Southwest blog post. The seats, which are currently real leather will be traded out with E-Leather, a material made from recycled leather fibers. The company claims that the new material is scuff-resistant and durable. The seats will end up being much thinner, allowing the company to add six more seats in each plane. The blog post claims this does not mean less room but just a matter of thinner seats and different seat position. The blog post also states that they will be replacing their carpet with an eco-friendly substitute and that the plane will altogether be lighter after the changes, utilizing less fuel.  I have always admired Southwest for their cheap flights, surly stewardesses and free-for-all boarding system so, of course, I like this improvement. Although, I am particularly skeptical being able to feel the kicks of the toddlers that always manage to sit behind me though the thinner seat.