World’s first zero-waste flight takes off
Qantas has operated the world’s first zero-waste flight as part of its mission to cut its overall waste by 75% by the end of 2021 and eliminate the use of single-use plastic by the end of next year.
All the waste onboard flight QF739 from Sydney to Adelaide was disposed of by composting, reusing or recycling.
"In the process of carrying over 50 million people every year, Qantas and Jetstar currently produce an amount of waste equivalent to 80 fully-laden Boeing 747 jumbo jets," said Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David.
"We want to give customers the same level of service they currently enjoy, but without the amount of waste that comes with it."
David said flights from Sydney to Adelaide typically generate 34 kilogrammes of waste, and up to 150 tonnes of waste annually.
"This flight is about testing our products, refining the waste process and getting feedback from our customers," he added.
Compostable products used on the flight included meal containers made from sugar cane and cutlery made from crop starch.
Qantas and Jetstar plan to replace 45 million plastic cups, 30 million cutlery sets, 21 million coffee cups and four million headrest covers with sustainable alternatives.
In 2018, Qantas operated the first biofuel flight between Australia and the US using a biofuel mix processed from mustard seeds.
Last month, Etihad operated the Middle East region’s first single-use plastic-free flight, from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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