Emirates recycles, reuses 88 tonnes of plastic from inflight dining

In celebration of World Environment Day on 5th June, Emirates is highlighting the significant impact of its closed-loop recycling programme, first launched in June 2023.

Over the past year, the airline has repurposed more than 88,000 kilogrammes (88 tonnes) of plastic from Economy Class inflight meal service items, transforming them into new products for use onboard.

As part of its commitment to environmental stewardship, Emirates has invested more than Dhs50 million in transitioning to a closed-loop manufacturing model for inflight dining serviceware.

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, where they are transformed into new meal service items containing up to 25% recycled material. These products are then returned to Emirates Flight Catering and reintroduced into service onboard thousands of flights.

With millions of trays, bowls and dishes used every year across Emirates' global network, the programme supports circular economy principles, significantly reducing plastic waste sent to landfill while lowering transport emissions through local recycling and manufacturing.

The programme is delivered in partnership with deSter FZE UAE, a leading aviation serviceware provider and expert in closed-loop manufacturing. deSter is a member of the CE100 network, which includes some of the world's leading circular economy organisations, and has been awarded the ‘Gold’ Sustainability rating from Ecovadis - a globally recognised certification for sustainable practices. The facility also incorporates sustainable design principles, including solar power, efficient water management and waste minimisation practices.

WAM