Emirates has recycled plastic and glass equivalent of a fully-loaded A380 aircraft’s weight in 2022 when it collected more than 500,000 kilograms of discarded bottles onboard for repurposing.
The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by the environmentally conscious Emirates cabin crew in 2019 as part of regular webinars and events where they are given a platform to share feedback and share ideas. The proposal was implemented within weeks.
So, as soon as an Emirates flight lands in Dubai, the cabin crew swings into action to quickly separate glass and plastic bottles. These are then sent to a recycling plant, where the glass is separated by colour and crushed. This ‘cullet’, or recycled glass, is then sent to glass manufacturers in the UAE to be re-melted and included in their batch mix for new bottles.
The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products. This has helped divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic away from landfill each year.
Emirates blankets made of plastic
Among some of the other Emirates initiatives focusing on repurposing plastic or using sustainable materials, is the blankets used by Economy passengers on long-haul flights. For the last six years, these sustainable blankets made from recycled plastic bottles.
The soft and warm blankets are made from 28 recycled plastic bottles, which are shredded into chips before being turned into yarn, creating a fleece material. The fine thread is then woven into soft blankets.
This initiative has prevented more than 95 million plastic bottles from going to landfill since it was started.
Responsible sourcing
Emirates has embedded an environmental requirement in the supplier code of conduct and considers the entire lifecycle of products from the design stage.
For example, wooden tea and coffee stirrers, paper straws and inflight retail bags are made using wood and paper from responsibly managed forests.
The airline’s complimentary toy bags, baby amenity kits and plush toys for its young travellers are also made from recycled plastic bottles and other sustainable materials.
Belt bags, duffle bags and backpacks are designed with specific age groups in mind and are constructed from a yarn made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Each Emirates kids’ backpack is made from 5.5 recycled plastic bottles and each duffle bag is made from seven, and has saved over 8 million plastic bottles from landfill.
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