Are airlines finally becoming more plastic-conscious? /

Emirates is unveiling a new closed-loop recycling initiative this month, with millions of items on board, such as plastic containers, bowls, snacks and casseroles, now being recycled at a local facility and remade into fresh, ready-to-eat Emirates meal service products .

United Nations tag World Environment Day on June 5, and the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, Emirates will introduce the new recycled consumables on board from June 2023.

In line with Emirates’ commitment to responsible consumption, the new initiative is a transition to circular economy principles, where items are reduced, reused and recycled. Millions of old and damaged meal service items from Economy and Premium Economy Class diners are collected after flights, washed and checked for damage, transported to a facility in Dubai to be ground, reprocessed and made into new dishes, bowls and trays – before they are sent to Emirates Flight Catering to be reused for thousands of in-flight meals.

In partnership with deSter FZE UAE, a leading provider of serviceware concepts for the aviation industry and an expert in closed loop manufacturing, Emirates will reuse plastic materials that have reached the end of their useful life and would otherwise have to be written off. The new trays, casseroles, snack trays and bowls, which contain a minimum of 25% recycled material (recyclate), will be put back into use on airplanes around the world and the proportion will continue to grow over time.

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The deSter team is a member of the CE100 network, which includes some of the world’s leading circular economy companies, and has also been awarded the ‘Gold’ sustainability rating by Ecovadis – a globally recognized certification for sustainable practices. Emirates chose to work with deSter as soon as a facility in the UAE was ready to meet the sheer scale of Emirates requirements – significantly reducing the carbon footprint of sending the products to another country to be recycled. The deSter factory also incorporates sustainable design principles focused on solar energy, efficient use of water and minimization of waste.

Emirates’ commitment to reducing plastic waste

Emirates is committed to reducing plastic waste and has already implemented several initiatives in addition to the new closed loop recycling project.

• Emirates has diverted more than 150 million single-use plastic items from landfill each year by replacing plastic straws, inflight retail bags and stirrers with responsibly sourced paper and wood alternatives.
• Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers can feel comfortable with soft blankets on board, with each blanket made from 28 recycled plastic bottles. Over the course of a year, this initiative saves 88 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills.
• Emirates’ current range of toy bags, baby care sets and plush toys are made from recycled plastic bottles, with over 8 million plastic bottles recycled during 12 months of amenity kit production.
• The hygiene covers for bowls on Emirates meal trays and plastic cups are made from 80% recycled plastic (rPET).
• Emirates Economy and Premium Economy amenity kits are made from alternative materials such as kraft paper, rice paper and recycled plastic, reducing the consumption of virgin plastic.
• Emirates Cabin Crew separates glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting approximately 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfill by 2022.