by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:30 AM ET, Tue April 9, 2024
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released a new report focusing on single-use plastics (SUPP) in the aviation industry, in partnership with WRAP and Travel Without Plastic, highlighting actionable recommendations the industry and all its partners can use to reduce and ultimately end single-use plastic use in the industry.
The report, which is entitled, “Reassessing Single Use Plastics Products in the Airline Sector,” comes ahead of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) developing an international legally binding agreement on SUPP use by the end of the year, using an intergovernmental negotiating committee.
SUPP are used in many facets of the aviation industry, and have for decades for their safety and security. For customers, many recognize single-use plastics in throw-away water bottles, toiletry kits and accompanying in-flight meals.
Yet improving cabin waste performance and replacing SUPP are paramount goals in the industry, but lack of broader recommendations can leave the industry in the lurch, without a system or a guide to follow.
That’s where the report comes in. It recommends various ways to replace SUPP with a better alternative: for example, airlines can consider replacing plastic straws, cups and cutlery with reusable or biodegradable options, and some have already begun implementing this.
In December, 2023, Delta Air Lines announced it would eliminate 7 million pounds of plastic by replacing its plastic cups with paper cups. The new cups continue their rollout through the spring of 2024. Earlier in July, 2023, the Los Angeles Airport announced it would ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. The San Francisco Airport did the same around five years ago.
The main recommendation? Collaboration. Reducing and eventually replacing SUPP with sustainable alternatives and encouraging the concept of circular economy onboard will take time and partnerships across the aviation industry, from suppliers to the airlines themselves. Clear targets and an overarching support plan would also encourage the industry to create actionable change.
"Airlines are taking a comprehensive approach to sustainability that includes addressing the environmental impact of SUPP,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist. “The recommendations of this report will help airlines, regulators and the supply chain to manage the complexities of reducing SUPP.”
“This includes finding alternatives to SUPP, creating a harmonized regulatory framework, and promoting sector-wide collaboration,” Thomsen continued. “Importantly, these recommendations take advantage of the expertise of all participants in the aviation sector to develop, adapt and implement the solutions best suited to an aircraft’s unique environment.”
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