The big commitment to cut cabin waste

Airlines are generating more than 3.6 million metric tonnes of cabin and catering waste every year, according to the latest figures released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

And with global passenger traffic set to double by the 2040s, the problem is only going to get bigger.

As the airline industry works to address its waste problem, passengers can expect more onboard recycling, sustainable packaging and pre-flight food ordering, as well as the increased use of technology.

Until now, the lack of a standardised approach to conducting cabin waste audits has stalled the industry’s efforts to address the problem. However in September IATA will launch a standardised Cabin Waste Composition Audit (CWCA) in conjunction with the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF) in order to get to the heart of the problem and help guide action.

The ASF is an industry think tank that was established to specifically address the cabin and catering waste problem. Realising the industry needed data to better understand the issue, the ASF established its CWCA programme with the support of IATA and SATS Catering in Singapore. The programme is collecting data that will help airlines and caterers identify areas for improvement and eventually result in a significant reduction in waste.

CWCA audits have been trialled in two waves, involving 25 short, medium and long-haul flights at Singapore Changi Airport in November 2023 and April 2024. From those trials, IATA has calculated the industry is generating over 3.6 metric tonnes of waste annually, with 65 per cent of this being food and beverage waste. Untouched meals account for 18 per cent of all waste.

“Managing and reducing waste is an important component of aviation’s overall sustainability,” says Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s senior vice president of sustainability and chief economist.

“Obtaining standardised and comparable data regarding the composition and quantity of waste from flights will help the industry to reduce the waste it generates. Better data will also help policymakers to harmonise regulations, which in turn can help optimise the industry’s capability to sort, recycle and safely reuse waste that cannot be avoided.”

ASF founder Matt Crane says managing cabin waste is “a challenge that can be solved with the backing of data”.

“It is the responsibility of the sector and its regulators to come together, understand the problem and align on the needed solutions,” he says.

International Catering Waste (ICW) regulations, designed to reduce the risk of animal and plant diseases and pests entering a country, currently limit what airline food waste can be recycled, with the majority of waste incinerated or sent to landfill. The ASF estimates the food waste alone represents some US$5-6 million each year.

A recently released report conducted by Food Control Consultants and commissioned by IATA assessed the risks to animal health posed by ICW, and concluded that risks are very low compared to those from illegally imported food and other animal and plant products. IATA and the Airline Catering Association are advocating for changes in ICW regulations.

Meanwhile, industry efforts to reduce waste continue. A number of airlines and their catering partners are conducting onboard waste separation trials. Dutch airline KLM, for example, has a waste separation programme for aluminium cans and plastic bottles, while transatlantic trials involving IATA and the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service focused on packaging recyclables on flights between Europe and the United States.

Air New Zealand last year alone diverted approximately 70 tonnes from landfill, comprising 3.4 million units of products like cutlery packs and sugar sachets, and recycled 215 tonnes of glass under its Project Green recycling and waste reduction initiative, which has been running since 2017. Collaboration with its catering partner, LSG Sky Chefs, and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries enables unused items from a flight which do not pose a biosecurity risk to be used on a subsequent flight if they are completely sealed and untouched. The initiative includes more than 40 in-flight products, including cans of soft drink, packets of cookies, boxed tea, coffee and sugar sachets.

Carriers are also tackling the issue at the source, by using artificial intelligence to better predict the amount of food required.

KLM, for example, estimates that it will save more than 100,000kg of wasted meals through the use of an AI tool, TRAYS, which was specifically developed for the airline’s catering.

Not all bookings result in a passenger boarding a KLM flight, with the airline estimating between 3 and 5 per cent of booked passengers do not show up (on time) for their flight. The AI model predicts the number of passengers on board based on historical data, with the prediction starting 17 days before departure through to 20 minutes before the flight departs. As a result, the most accurate number of passengers is predicted for the entire catering process, from purchasing to loading, preventing a surplus of meals, according to the airline.

Over a three-month period using the AI model, KLM found 63 per cent less food was wasted compared to catering for every booked passenger, with the greatest benefit on intercontinental flights where 2.5 fewer meals, weighing 1.3kg, were needed which would otherwise have to be thrown away due to ICW regulations.

Crane told the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo earlier this year that AI tools will be increasingly used to monitor meal preparation waste and meal loading. Eventually, technology will also allow the monitoring of inbound waste at airports, providing airlines with real-time tracking of waste generation, he predicts.

Passengers can also play a part, according to Crane. “It is crucial to include passengers in the sustainability journey, making them aware of cabin waste issues and encouraging their participation in adopting sustainable practices,” he says.

“Historically, low-cost airlines have excelled in engaging passengers in recyclables waste separation, as this often aligns with their brand model. However, full-service carriers like Qantas domestic are now also making great strides in this regard.”