KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has trialled a closed-loop recycling system for catering materials collected from four flights from Amsterdam to Vancouver.
The airline collected catering waste material, including plastic food containers, cups, covers and cutlery from the flights, which were then cleaned and recycled on another flight to Vancouver.
The materials for the products were adapted especially for the test. Dessert and salad bowls, lids and glasses for the flight were made of a material with a lower specific gravity than the original, which allowed them to be washed and properly recycled into new catering equipment.
KLM is the first airline to test a closed-loop recycling system, which is part of the airline’s commitment to create a sustainable future for air transportation.
Through KLM’s Fly Responsibly program, the airline invites its customers to take part in its CO2 compensation program or its Corporate BioFuel Program to reduce the carbon footprint caused by KLM flights.
