Emirates has repurposed more than 88,000 kilograms of plastic from Economy Class meal service items over the past year, the airline announced on June 4, ahead of World Environment Day.
The figure comes from a closed-loop recycling programme the airline first launched in June 2023. Damaged and unserviceable trays, casseroles, snack dishes and bowls are collected after flights, cleaned and processed at a specialist facility in Dubai, then remade into new serviceware containing up to 25 per cent recycled material. Those products are returned to Emirates Flight Catering and put back into service across the network.
Emirates says it has invested more than AED 50 million in transitioning to this manufacturing model. The programme is run in partnership with deSter FZE UAE, an aviation serviceware provider that holds a Gold sustainability rating from Ecovadis and is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 circular economy network. The Dubai facility runs on solar power and incorporates water and waste management measures.
The announcement was paired with a broader overview of sustainability measures across the cabin. Economy and Premium Economy fleece blankets are made from recycled polyester, with each blanket said to incorporate material equivalent to roughly 28 recycled plastic bottles.
Children’s toys and bags in the latest onboard collection contain a minimum of 50 per cent recycled content. Headset packaging across all cabin classes is now made from 100 per cent recycled low-density polyethylene.
In First and Business Class, plastic wrapping has been removed from mattress toppers, duvets and blankets, replaced with reusable bags made from recycled polyester.
Amenity kit bags in both cabins incorporate fabrics with recycled content, and dental kit packaging has switched to kraft paper. Premium Economy and Economy amenity kits, designed in partnership with United for Wildlife, use bio-based materials including cactus-based alternatives, with socks and eyeshades made from 100% recycled post-consumer polyester.
Plastic straws have been phased out entirely and replaced with certified paper alternatives. Duty-free carrier bags have moved from plastic to paper, and onboard glass and plastic bottles are segregated on flights arriving into Dubai where operationally feasible.
