Reducing waste onboard aircraft is a direct path to improving aviation’s eco-credentials, yet it will require behavioural changes at airlines. So says Matt Crane, founder and director of non-profit organisation Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF).
During this spring’s Passenger Experience Conference in Hamburg, Crane emphasized the importance of understanding the scope and causes of industry’s substantial waste in order to better address the problem.
Working in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and several international airlines, ASF’s so-called Cabin Waste Composition Audit programme conducted trial audits to analyse the consumption and waste of food and beverages on flights.
Preliminary results indicate that the sector is generating over 3.6 million metric tonnes of cabin and catering waste annually, with 65% being food and beverage waste. Untouched meals account for 18% of all waste. This staggering amount of waste costs the sector billions of dollars each year, with Crane pinning the amount at roughly $3.5 billion annually during the conference.
With passenger numbers set to double to 10 billion by 2050, Crane warned that the problem is only going to grow and that the time to act is now. There are, however, clear hurdles to overcome.
Stringent phytosanitary controls and inadequate recycling facilities at many airports often result in incineration or landfill disposal.
Moreover, to achieve meaningful change in industry, airlines will need to alter their behaviours, he said. For instance, they could adjust passenger services, focusing on pre-order dining options. They could also limit onboard choices to reduce waste.
It is also important for airlines to better align their sustainability goals with caterers, noted the ASF executive.
Crane believes that the compelling data from ASF’s audits will drive airlines to adopt these necessary behavioural changes. Naturally, passengers’ willingness to accept the changes would ease the transition.
For its part, IATA has formally recognized ASF’s audit tool, which will now become the industry standard for measuring and analysing cabin waste data at airlines.
Audit data will be used to guide the industry and policy makers in their efforts to reduce cabin waste and improve circularity through re-use and recycling.
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Featured image credited to Jason Rabinowitz
