Aer Lingus now recycling onboard
Aer Lingus has become the first airline to segregate and recycle onboard waste arriving on short-haul flights into Ireland
Aer Lingus has become the first airline to segregate and recycle onboard waste arriving on short-haul flights into Ireland. In an important move toward sustainability targets, the airline is set to recycle approximately 20 percent (200 tonnes) of onboard waste by the end of this year in conjunction with its partnership with Panda.
After a Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2002, European regulations governing international catering waste were put into place to inhibit onboard recycling. “However,” a recent release stated, “the Department of Agriculture has confirmed that recycling can apply to any waste coming into Ireland that is not contaminated by animal by-products.” By 2025 the airline expects to be recycling approximately 40 percent (720 tonnes) of onboard waste.
“Our onboard recycling initiative is one of a wide-ranging set of actions we are taking across Aer Lingus to drive sustainability at the airline, including investing in new fuel-efficient aircraft and investing in sustainable aviation fuel,” Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton said in the release.
The airline reportedly trialled the recycling program on flights into Cork at the end of last year. In early 2023, the program was expanded to include flights into Dublin. “The company will extend the programme to other airports and to long-haul flights, over time,” the release stated.
In other Aer Lingus sustainability news, the airline has become the first Irish airline to receive an IEnvA Stage 2 Certification from The International Air Transport Association (IATA) for its work in reducing carbon emissions across flight operations and corporate facilities. “The IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme is a globally recognized evaluation system designed to independently assess and help to improve the environmental performance of an airline,” the release explains.
