Spanish airline Iberojet, part of the Ávoris tourism group, has eliminated all single-use plastics from its in-flight service. The company will replace these items by others made of compostable and reusable materials.
Iberojet has been working for more than two years to optimize its operations, improve its energy efficiency and have a waste management policy in line with IATA’s objectives for reducing the environmental impact of the airline industry.
Since 2021, it has reduced plastic consumption on its flights by more than thirty-six tons per year. The company gradually replaced plastic trays with a tablecloth made of compostable materials.
Plastic cups and glasses were replaced by cardboard equivalents, and plastic cutlery by one made from an innovative material composed of wood and plant fibers. The same applied to plates. In addition, the use of plastic dessert containers was completely phased out.
On the other hand, the company reported having reduced the use of paper on board by more than three tons per year. Physical magazines and menus were replaced by digital versions. On-board shopping receipts also now work in this way.
The reduction of plastic and paper on flights has a double positive impact. On the one hand, they reduce waste generation and optimize the use of resources. Carrying less of these materials reduces the weight of the aircraft and this reduction translates into lower fuel consumption and, therefore, fewer emissions into the atmosphere.
“Iberojet’s main objective is to play a leading role in the airline industry’s environmental strategy”, said Antonio Mota, the company’s CEO. “To this end, we are carrying out an ambitious plan aimed at reducing the environmental impact of our operations, which involves a long series of specific actions, such as reducing the use of plastic and paper on our flights”, he added.
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