Emirates recycles over 500,000 kg of plastic and glass

 

By 2023, Emirates will have recycled almost 500,000 kg of plastic.

Glass will be collected onboard for repurposing throughout the period of 2022. 500,000 kg is nearly the same weight as a fully loaded Emirates A380.

Emirates Cabin Crew work hard on every flight that lands in Dubai to quickly separate glass and plastic bottles before transporting them to a recycling factory in Dubai. Colored glass is separated and crushed. This 'cullet,' or recycled glass that is ready to be re-melted, is then delivered to a glass manufacturer. UAE manufacturers should incorporate in their batch mix for new bottles.

Plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and shipped to manufacturers for use in the production of other plastic items. As a result, every year, Emirates and Emirates Flight Catering divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic from garbage.

Environmentally aware Emirates Cabin Crew proposed the glass and plastic recycling project onboard in 2019, as part of monthly webinars and events where they are given a forum to provide feedback and encouraged to submit creative ideas with relevant departments. The concept was favorably received and was put into action within a few weeks.

Emirates has a number of different projects that aim on reusing plastic and using sustainable materials whenever possible.

Recycled plastic blankets from Emirates

For the past six years, Emirates has provided Economy travelers on long-haul flights with warm sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles. 28 recycled plastic bottles were used to make soft and cozy blankets. Before being transformed into yarn, the bottles are shredded into plastic chips.

Creating a fleece material. The silky blankets are then woven from the tiny thread. Emirates blankets have saved more than 95 million plastic bottles in the six years since the campaign began to avoid ending up in a landfill. Being the airline industry's largest sustainable blanket program on board, the production method of employing recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) also saves energy, and emissions by approximately 70%.

Prioritizing ethical sourcing

Responsible consumption is a primary environmental emphasis area for Emirates, which has incorporated an environmental obligation into the supplier code of conduct and considers the entire lifecycle of products from the design stage. Wooden tea and coffee stirrers, paper straws, and so on are examples. Wood and paper from responsibly managed forests are used to make in-flight retail bags.

Toys for children in the UAE created from environmentally friendly materials

Emirates' complementary toy bags, baby amenity packages, and plush toys are also manufactured from recycled plastic bottles and other sustainable materials for the airline's youngest clients. Belt bags, duffel bags, and backpacks are produced from 100% recycled plastic bottles and are developed with various age groups in mind. Each Emirates kids' backpack contains 5.5 recycled plastic bottles, and each duffel bag contains 7. The Emirates' manufacturing 8 million plastic bottles have been rescued from waste thanks to children's bags. The swing tags are made of recycled card, and the outer cases in which the products are sent are also made of recyclable card.

Reusable onboard amenity kits from Emirates

Emirates' Premium Economy and Economy Class amenity kits are provided free of charge to guests on long-haul flights and contain designs that represent the four important elements of travel.

Nature consists of four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The pouches are reusable and made of washable kraft paper with custom artwork printed in non-toxic soy ink. The contents include a variety of long-lasting items.

Essentials for travel produced from environmentally safe materials. The toothbrush is composed of wheat straw and plastic, and the socks and eyeglasses are made of recycled plastic, specifically rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate). The packaging for the dentistry kit, socks, and eyeglasses is comprised of 90% rice paper.