Guest Column: ASF highlights Sustain-ABILITY
This is a special feature from PAX International’s June 2023 WTCE issue on page 66.
The ASF is calling to share responsibility of dealing with ICW
At the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF), we are hearing a consistent message from colleagues across our sector — aviation is back, and we are building back more sustainably.
Colleagues are coming together to tackle the challenges of SAF, ethical and sustainable procurement, single-use plastics and more.
International cabin waste (ICW) is also on the agenda. It’s a complex problem to grasp and not only presents challenges for identifying the changes we need to embrace the environmental benefits of the circular economy, but also internal challenges. The commercial, contractual, competitive and ingrained legacy processes of ICW supply chains that have not materially changed for decades and which can act as barriers to us working together to openly embrace change and find the solutions we need.
But change we must if we are to meet the LTAG commitment set by the ICAO last year of net zero CO2 emissions for aviation by 2050.
The ASF predicts that commercial aviation could incinerate or bury the equivalent in ICW of 24 million cars between today and 2030 with related waste disposal costs to our sector of over $7 billion and releasing over 30M tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. This can’t continue.
We have a shared responsibility to deal with this.
Part of our answer sits in the second syllable of sustainability, our ability to recognize that we are at our best when we work together. We have the ability to find solutions together that can be adopted by all and are not just for ourselves. We have the ability to act as one to support IATA and our governing bodies in making the case for the ICW regulatory change we need.
At the ASF we have a plan. With our consulting partners and members, we have developed a detailed collegiate pathway for the entire sector that clearly sets out an approach to developing a deep understanding of the external and internal challenges of ICW and how, by working together, we can identify solutions to bring about the changes needed. To find out more, contact us at info@aviationsustainabilityforum.com.
