Tray tales
This is a special feature from PAX International's October 2020 digital edition.
The ‘infinite use’ plastic cup by Gispol is shatter, odor,
scratch and stain resistant, has long-lasting clarity, is BPA free and
lightweight, and can be put in the dishwasher
Take an airline concerned about passenger experience and the ongoing concerns about cabin waste and you have a recipe for anxiety for most everyone involved. This handful of tableware and serveware products represent efforts by suppliers to listen to customers at a time when solutions are needed quickly for problems that didn’t exist just months ago.
Infinite use
Gispol has re-imagined rotable drinkware with its ‘infinite use’ plastic cup. The Lilly Glass is available as a replacement for single-use tumblers and wine glasses during inflight drink service. It is shatter, odor, scratch and stain resistant, has long-lasting clarity, is BPA free, dishwasher safe and lightweight. The elegant cup is 79mm wide and 79.5mm tall with a capacity of 220ml.
“It’s a game changer,” says Ricardo Alves, General Manager at Gispol. “The product is an upgrade from all disposable glass solutions and designs. It sends a strong message to the passenger about sustainability.”
Waiter’s friend
To help make work in the cabin as convenient as possible, RMT Global Partners has introduced an all-in-one tool featuring a corkscrew, bottle opener and extendible foil cutter. The service item was designed with feedback from crew in mind.
The RMT all-in-one tool features a corkscrew, bottle open and extendible foil cutter
"[It] is a welcome addition to any busy galley or drinks service," says Richard Tuttle, President and CEO at RMT. "The incredibly compact design and vital features makes this bottle opener perfect as a pocket-sized multi-tool your cabin crew can't do without."
The core, lever and corkscrew are stamped from 420 stainless steel with a handle made of high-quality polypropylene for a smooth and comfortable hold. It features a double-hinged lever that can manage long corks. The extendible foil cutter adjusts to a variety of bottle tops for convenience, with four circular blades that remove foils safely for a professional finish.
Upgrading disposables
Global Inflight Products (GIP) has designed a cost effective, disposable replacement for First and Business Class meal service products, including First Class tray table linen and a napkin pouch for cutlery. The sustainability-minded products are non-woven and printed in a tone-on-tone jacquard-look – which can then be customized with the airline logo.
Global Inflight Products’ First Class disposable tray table linen and napkin pouch for cutler are made from sustainable products and serve as a replacement for rotable products in First and Business
“This is a new opportunity for the industry to streamline it offerings to support the health and safety of passengers while improving the environmental impact as well,” says Lisa Banzaoui, CEO at GIP.
The company’s Green is Possible line includes products made from sustainable and compostable materials.
Palm perfect
In development ahead of the pandemic, Sola Netherlands is introducing its range of super lightweight cutlery. The steel cutlery is part of Sola’s preparation for the EU ban on single-use plastics – which is looming heavily on airlines as COVID-19 continues to demand disposables.
The ‘Palm’ option of stainless steel cutlery by Sola
“We reinvented a concept solution to the plastic problems and [have now] adapted it to a solution for this extreme challenge,” Sola Netherlands Export Manager Hans Engels told PAX International in June. “Despite all the restrictions and distancing that will come and go, service is the one thing people both want and indeed need.”
The washable, recyclable ultralight range adheres to environmental restrictions and is offered in three patterns, Oasis, Palm and Manhattan, which makes it suitable for various service styles. All patterns are available in 0.5mm or 1.00mm thickness.
