Emirates is taking a significant step towards reducing plastic waste with the introduction of a groundbreaking closed-loop recycling initiative. This initiative aims to transform millions of onboard items, including plastic trays, bowls, snack dishes, and casserole dishes, into new and reusable Emirates meal service products.
The announcement comes as Emirates aligns with the United Nations’ World Environment Day, which focuses on the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution. Starting from June 2023, passengers can expect to see the implementation of recycled utensils onboard Emirates flights.
Emirates’ new recycling program reflects its commitment to sustainable consumption and the principles of a circular economy. Under this program, Economy and Premium Economy Class dining items that are old or damaged will be collected after flights, cleaned, and inspected for any issues. These items will then be transported to a facility in Dubai, where they will be ground down, reprocessed, and manufactured into fresh dishes, bowls, and trays. The recycled products will be sent to Emirates Flight Catering and reused for thousands of in-flight meals.
To bring this ambitious initiative to life, Emirates has partnered with deSter FZE UAE, a leading provider of service ware concepts in the aviation industry. DeSter specializes in closed-loop manufacturing and will contribute its expertise in recycling plastic materials that have reached their end of life. By incorporating recycled content into the new trays, casseroles, snack dishes, and bowls, Emirates aims to achieve around 25% reuse of materials, with plans to increase this proportion over time.
DeSter’s commitment to sustainable practices is evidenced by its membership in the CE100 network, which comprises some of the world’s top circular economy companies. Additionally, the company has been awarded the prestigious ‘Gold’ Sustainability rating from Ecovadis. The deSter factory, where the recycling process takes place, is designed with sustainable principles in mind, focusing on solar power, efficient water usage, and waste minimization.
Emirates’ closed-loop recycling initiative is just one of the airline’s many efforts to tackle plastic waste. In recent years, the company has implemented several initiatives to reduce its environmental impact:
- Replacement of single-use plastic items: Emirates has replaced plastic straws, inflight retail bags, and stirrers with sustainable alternatives made from responsibly sourced paper and wood, diverting over 150 million items from landfills annually.
- Recycled blankets: Passengers in Economy and Premium Economy Class can enjoy the comfort of soft blankets made from 28 recycled plastic bottles each. This initiative saves an impressive 88 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills every year.
- Repurposed plastic bottles: Emirates produces inflight toy bags, baby amenity kits, and plush toys from recycled plastic bottles. During the course of a year, over 8 million plastic bottles are repurposed for amenity kit production.
- Sustainable meal tray covers: The hygiene covers for meal trays and plastic tumblers used by Emirates are made from 80% recycled plastic (rPET).
- Alternative materials for amenity kits: Emirates’ Economy and Premium Economy amenity kits are crafted from eco-friendly materials like kraft paper, rice paper, and recycled plastic, reducing the consumption of virgin plastic.
- Glass and plastic bottle recycling: Emirates Cabin Crew actively segregates glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting approximately 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfills in 2022 alone.
With its latest closed-loop recycling program and existing sustainability initiatives, Emirates Airlines is at the forefront of combating plastic pollution in the aviation industry. By adopting environmentally friendly practices, the airline is setting an example for others and contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.