You probably know about the waste problem in our oceans. But how about the one in our skies? Airline passengers generated 5.2m tonnes of waste in 2016, most of which went to landfill or incineration, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates. That\u2019s the weight of about 2.6m cars. And it\u2019s a figure set to double over the next 15 years.<\/p>\n
Toilet waste is included in that statistic. But so are miniature wine bottles, half-eaten lunch trays, unused toothbrushes and other hallmarks of air travel. Once a plane has landed, huge volumes of disposable items are thrown away, says Matt Rance, chief executive of MNH Sustainable Cabin Services, a company that advises airlines on waste reduction. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like taking a tube, tipping it upside down, emptying it out and then saying \u2018right, fill it up with new stuff again\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The airline industry has taken flak for its growing greenhouse gas emissions as passenger numbers rise. But could its massive waste footprint be solved without affecting the sector\u2019s growth?<\/p>\n
Stemming the Tide<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n A Spanish project launched last autumn by a group of companies including Iberia Airlines and Ferrovial Services is taking up this challenge. The scheme aims to recover 80% of cabin waste coming into Madrid\u2019s Barajas airport by mid-2020 through simple measures such as using trolleys designed for waste separation, says Juan Hermira, Iberia\u2019s lead for the project. About 2,500 cabin crew members will be trained in the basics of waste separation as part of the push, he says. It\u2019s one of a handful of initiatives that suggest parts of the industry are waking up to waste. Last year, Gatwick opened an on-site waste-to-energy plant, reducing the need for lorries to transport waste elsewhere. The power produced currently goes back into the plant, but Gatwick hopes the facility will eventually help to heat the north terminal. Like Heathrow, it is also\u00a0targeting\u00a0a 70% recycling rate by 2020.<\/p>\n America\u2019s United Airlines has switched to compostable paper cups and last year began donating unused amenity kits to homeless and women\u2019s shelters \u2013 it expects to divert more than 27 tonnes-worth by the end of the first year. Virgin, meanwhile, has set up a system for recycling all parts of its headsets, including ear sponges, which are used as flooring for equestrian centres. Despite actions like these, the mountains of airline waste continue to grow. So what more can be done?<\/p>\n For Michael Gill, IATA\u2019s head of environment, regulation is key. At the moment EU animal health legislation, drawn up as a reaction to diseases like foot and mouth, dictates that all catering waste arriving from outside EU borders be treated as high-risk and incinerated or buried in deep landfill. A coffee cup from the US, for example, will be treated as hazardous waste because it might have had milk in it. Donating uneaten food to charity is impossible.<\/p>\n A more rational approach is needed, Gill says, one which identifies elements of cabin waste that actually pose a risk to health and takes into account the stringent hygiene standards airlines are already subject to. He points to a forthcoming IATA-commissioned report which concludes that dairy and honey in airline waste pose a negligible threat to animals.<\/p>\n Better procedures on the ground would also help ease the classification problem, says Magda Golebiewska, group environment manager at TUI Airlines. East Midlands and Gatwick airports have started tagging rubbish bags with their origin but elsewhere it\u2019s common practice for waste from inside and outside the EU to get thrown together and processed collectively as international catering waste, she says.<\/p>\n Most important, however, is getting the cabin crew\u2019s buy-in, says Golebiewska. This can be a challenge since the crew is already busy meeting on-board sales targets and looking after passengers, she says, but it is crucial: \u201cHow well the [waste] segregation is done really depends on how much effort they put into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe programme, which aims to produce guidelines for use in other airports, is also exploring low-packaging meals and reusable cutlery, as well as data-led solutions: frequent flyer information, for example, could be used to anticipate business class passengers\u2019 meal preferences, meaning fewer meals would need to be prepared to satisfy demand, says Hermira.<\/p>\n