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Millions of in-flight items, such as plastic trays and bowls, will now be recycled at local facilities and remade into ready-to-use Emirates Catering products following Emirates’ launch of a new closed-loop recycling scheme this month.
To mark UN World Environment Day on 5 June, Emirates will introduce a new recycled tableware onboard from June 2023 under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution.
In line with Emirates’ commitment to responsible consumption, the new initiative is a transition to the principles of a circular economy, whereby items are reduced, reused and recycled. After the flight, millions of used and damaged food service items from Economy and Premium Economy dining are collected, washed and inspected for damage, then shipped to a factory in Dubai to be ground, reprocessed and manufactured into new Plates, bowls and trays – again used to serve thousands of meals in the air before being sent to Emirates’ in-flight catering service.
By partnering with deSter FZE UAE, a leading provider of service software concepts for the aviation industry and specialist in closed-loop manufacturing, Emirates will reuse plastic materials that have reached the end of their useful life and would otherwise need to be written off. New trays, casseroles, snack plates and bowls containing at least 25% recycled material (recycled material) will be put back into use on aircraft worldwide, and this percentage will continue to increase over time.
deSter’s team is a member of the CE100 network, which includes some of the world’s leading circular economy companies, and has also received a sustainability ‘Gold’ rating from Ecovadis – a globally recognized certification for sustainable practices. Emirates chose to partner with deSter once a facility in the UAE was ready to meet the airline’s large-scale needs – dramatically reducing the carbon footprint of shipping products to another country for recycling. The deSter facility also incorporates sustainable design principles with a focus on solar energy, water efficiency, and waste minimization.
Emirates commits to reducing plastic waste
Emirates is committed to reducing plastic waste with a number of initiatives in addition to a new closed-loop recycling programme.
• Emirates diverts more than 150 million single-use plastic items from landfill each year by replacing plastic straws, in-flight retail bags and stirrers with responsibly sourced paper and wooden alternatives.
• Economy and Premium Economy passengers can sleep comfortably on board with soft blankets, each made from 28 recycled plastic bottles. Over the course of a year, this initiative saved 88 million plastic bottles from landfill.
• Emirates’ current range of in-flight toy bags, baby kits and soft toys are made from recycled plastic bottles, with more than 8 million plastic bottles reused during the 12-month kit production process.
• Hygienic lids for Emirates plates and plastic cups are made from 80% recycled plastic (rPET).
• Emirates Economy and Premium Economy travel kits are made from alternative materials such as kraft paper, rice paper and recycled plastic, reducing the consumption of virgin plastic.
• Emirates cabin crew segregated glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting around 500,000kg of plastic and glass from landfill in 2022. – trade arab news agency
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