Emirates has recycled and repurposed more than 88,000 kilograms of plastic from its Economy Class inflight dining operations over the past year, as part of a wider sustainability initiative aimed at reducing waste and supporting a circular economy.
Marking World Environment Day on 5 June, the airline highlighted the impact of its closed-loop recycling programme, launched in June 2023, which transforms used in-flight meal service items into new products for use onboard.
As part of the initiative, Emirates has invested more than AED50 million in transitioning its inflight dining serviceware to a closed-loop manufacturing model. Damaged and unserviceable Economy Class trays, casseroles, snack dishes and bowls are collected after flights, cleaned, inspected and processed at a specialist facility in Dubai.
The recycled materials are then used to manufacture new meal service items containing up to 25 per cent recycled content before being returned to Emirates Flight Catering and reintroduced across the airline’s global network.
With millions of trays, bowls and dishes used annually, the programme is helping to reduce plastic waste sent to landfill while lowering transport-related emissions through local recycling and manufacturing.
The initiative is delivered in partnership with deSter FZE UAE, an aviation serviceware provider specialising in closed-loop manufacturing. The company is a member of the CE100 network, which promotes circular economy practices, and has received a Gold sustainability rating from Ecovadis. Its facility incorporates sustainable features including solar power, efficient water management systems and waste reduction measures.
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