Qantas launches onboard recycling scheme

10 December 2009 | Qantas has just rolled out an inflight recycling scheme on its domestic routes. The airline is asking passengers to assist by separating their recyclable items for collection by the cabin crew, and place all other items in a special bag. Qantas says its onboard recycling initiative gives passengers the opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of their journey. With the new program the airline plans to recycle approximately eight-and-a-half million bottles, cups, tumblers and cans per year from its domestic services. Qantas says it already recycles newspapers on board (nearly 500 tonnes a year in Sydney and Melbourne) and glass and plastic bottles, papers and cans are recycled in Qantas Club lounges. Overall, Qantas aims to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in landfill use by 2011.

Qantas’ inflight recycling initiative follows earlier trials by Virgin Blue in which cabin crew were trained to separate recyclable waste from food scraps and other matter while collecting passengers’ rubbish before landing. A few years ago the airline also installed recycling bins at Sydney Airport.

Meanwhile, in the U.S, Delta has run an inflight recycling program since June 2007. Domestic flights into over 20 U.S. airports are part of the program. Continental says it recycles every piece of onboard trash at its Houston hub. It has also placed designated ‘EcoSkies’ recycling bins in hub airport terminals. United started to recycle all aluminum and plastic beverage containers from domestic flights that arrive in Hawaii, and is expanding its program to arrivals at other locations. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue are in the process of expanding their recycling efforts, too.

However, in general, airlines and airports have been slow to embrace recycling as quarantine, security and logistics issues complicate aviation waste management. First, by law, onboard trash is not permitted to be recycled on international flights because of agriculture issues. Second, if a flight’s arrival airport doesn’t have a recycling facility or the airport is not large enough to sustain a recycling center, the flight’s recyclables may be hauled away and unfortunately end up at a local landfill anyway.

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