Iberia to reduce up to 200,000kg of plastic on its flights this year

• The airline has removed single-use plastic bags, wrappers and containers from its on-board service

• Last year, Iberia recycled 43% of the waste generated on board, and incorporated into its Zero Cabin Waste the selective collection of glass, recycling 62 tonnes of this material

 

On the occasion of World Recycling Day, Iberia takes stock of its Zero Cabin Waste project and its initiative to reduce single-use plastics on its flights.

Both are part of the airline’s commitment to offering customers a more sustainable travel experience, which is also one of the pillars on which it is developing its sustainability strategy.

200 Tonnes Fewer Per Year

Specifically, in 2023, Iberia estimates that the reduction of plastics on board will reach 200 tonnes, thanks to the initiatives that have already been launched:

• Replacing cutlery, stirrers, and plastic straws for others made of more sustainable materials such as bamboo and paper.

• Cardboard band instead of a plastic bag to wrap the linen blankets and duvets on board.

• Elimination of the plastic wrappers for earplugs, the children's kit and some of the items in the toiletry bags.

• Use thinner plastic bags to collect linen (blankets, duvets and pillows) during aircraft cleaning tasks.

In addition, this year the airline will replace plastic cups and some food wrappers with more sustainable alternatives.

One million cans and 200,000 plastic containers less in the Premium Lounges

This reduction in plastic on board Iberia aircraft was complemented by a similar initiative on the ground. In the Premium Lounges of the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, cans and plastic containers have been eliminated and replaced by returnable glasses. In addition, suppliers have been asked to prioritize bulk over individual formats for some products. Thanks to this measure, waste has been reduced by almost one million cans and 200,000 plastic containers per year.

Recycling of 62 Tonnes of Glass

In addition to the progressive elimination of plastics on board, Iberia continues to make progress with its management project for the waste generated on board, Zero Cabin Waste and, in 2022, recycled 43% of its cabin waste, which will have a new life.

Within the Zero Cabin Waste programme, last year, Iberia included the selective collection of the glass generated on board, which made it possible to manage and recycle 62 tonnes of this material at the airline’s catering provider's facilities in Madrid.

The Zero Cabin Waste project for the management of waste generated on board has been implemented on Iberia aircraft since 2018 in collaboration with Ecoembes, Ferrovial Servicios and ESCI-UPF, among others, and has been implemented on all Iberia routes since 2019.

To carry it out, the entire company fleet has compartmentalised carts that allow the separation of plastic containers, cans and tetra bricks, paper and cardboard containers, and glasses from the rest of the waste. In this way, the waste already separated on flights is received separately at the Madrid Barajas-Adolfo Suárez Airport facilities and is subsequently removed by the waste manager, classified by materials, and recycled at the appropriate facilities.

Responsible Production and Consumption

All these initiatives are part of Iberia's commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically with SDG 12, "Responsible production and consumption".

In addition, in terms of environmental sustainability, Iberia developed various actions aimed at SDG 13, "Climate Action", to which it contributes with projects that reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Some examples of this are the renewal of the fleet with aircraft that are between 15 and 25% more efficient; the replacement of newspapers and magazines with digital press, which has made it possible to reduce weight and CO2 emissions by 615 tonnes per year; and new tools for technical and cabin crews that reduce the use of paper on board and the weight of planes, among others.