IATA honors LATAM Cargo for plastic reduction in its operations
LATAM Cargo was distinguished by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as winner of the Air Cargo Innovation Award in the corporate category for its plastic reduction projects in its cargo operations in Chile and Brazil. These initiatives were designed by employees of the cargo subsidiary and are part of the Group’s commitment to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2027.
This fourth edition of the awards, which presented its results at the closing of the IATA World Cargo Symposium 2023, sought to highlight in its two categories, new concepts and ideas that contribute to the digitization, sustainability, safety and security of air logistics. In this case, LATAM Cargo stood out from the other 25 competitors in its category, presenting its progress in circular economy with the implementation of three innovative projects in certain operational processes in the domestic and international markets of Chile and Brazil.
These initiatives are, in the case of Chile, the implementation of a recyclable 3M tape that replaces the plastic film used to consolidate dry cargo in the country’s import hold, which will allow an 80% substitution of plastic in this process, resulting in a reduction of 18 tons per year. In addition, LATAM becomes the first airline in the world to work with 3M and to implement this innovative material for cargo operations.
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The second project implemented in the country was in the narrow-body operation on domestic flights, starting in Santiago and then expanding nationwide. It sought to replace the plastic film used only to consolidate and transport cargo safely from the hold to the aircraft’s feet, with a reusable blanket that has a useful life of nearly four years. This change will make it possible to reduce the use of this plastic by 100% for this process, thus reducing the use of 45 tons of this material per year. On the other hand, the last initiative exhibited is the one applied in Brazil, which following the objective of replacing plastic film, the cargo subsidiary resorted to the use of waterproof and reusable pallet covers for the storage of cargo in the Guarulhos warehouse, as well as for the ground transportation of cargo from one warehouse to another. With this, the company expects to reduce 13 tons of plastic per year.
It was the employees of the cargo subsidiary who researched and proposed these innovative solutions aimed at reducing, eliminating or replacing the use of plastics in the cargo operation, seeking new materials that were more sustainable and did not involve operational risks, both for the cargo and for the operators. These results were possible thanks to the collaborative work with its suppliers, who supported this initiative to implement the due processes and thus achieve a replacement material that was reusable and complied with all the environmental and technical requirements necessary to achieve a circular economy.
It is worth remembering that in May 2021, the LATAM Group launched its renewed sustainability strategy in which it established challenging goals: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, eliminate single-use plastics by 2023, and become a zero waste to landfill group by 2027, with the aim of contributing to the protection of South American ecosystems for the next 30 years.
“This award is a very important recognition not only for the group, but especially for our employees who were behind these innovations,” says Diego García, director of Ground Operations and Handling at LATAM Cargo.
To date, LATAM Cargo has researched and tested more than 18 initiatives focused on plastic reduction and substitution in its operations, of which 7 are being tested in some markets in the region. It is expected that in the future the company will continue to expand these projects to all applicable areas within its network.
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