To mark the United Nations World Environment Day and the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, Emirates is introducing the new recycled utensils onboard from June 2023 onwards.In what would redefine the way the airline handles waste, Emirates Airlines has partnered with deSter FZE UAE to unveil a new closed loop recycling initiative this month. The onboard items such as plastic trays, bowls, snack and casserole dishes, will now be recycled in a local facility and remade into fresh, ready-to-use Emirates meal service products.
The new trays, casseroles, snack dishes and bowls, containing at least 25 per cent reused material (recyclate), will be brought back into service on aircraft across the globe, and the proportion will continue to increase over time.
According to the airline, the initiative is in line with its commitment to consuming responsibly and a transition to the principles of a circular economy, whereby items are reduced, reused, and recycled.
Under the authority’s rules, airlines have various options to estimate passenger weight. One option is to periodically carry out surveys like Air New Zealand is doing to establish an average weight. Currently, the authority’s designated weight for people 13 and over is 86 kilograms (190 pounds), which includes carry-on luggage. The airline said the survey began this week and will run through July 2.
According to Emirates, it elected to work with deSter once a facility in UAE was ready to facilitate the huge scale of Emirates’ requirement – substantially reducing the carbon footprint of sending the products to another country to be recycled. The deSter factory also incorporates sustainable design principles focusing on solar power, efficient use of water and minimisation of waste.
The Emirates Cabin Crew segregates glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting about 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfill in 2022.
