LATAM eliminates 88% of single-use plastics on board its aircraft
LATAM Airlines Group ended the first half of the year with significant progress towards its goal of eliminating single-use plastics on board its aircraft by the end of 2023. The company managed to reduce them by 88% thanks to the implementation of circular economy projects, which meant a total reduction of 1,600 tons of plastic, equivalent to 266 million plastic bags.
“Our commitment is to eliminate single-use plastics by 2023 and to be zero waste to landfill by 2027. Two years ago we decided to migrate from a linear model to a circular one, where waste becomes a resource with a new life. We will continue to work on more initiatives that allow us to contribute to the environment,” says Estela Espinoza, LATAM Group Experience Manager.
Use of organic and reusable materials
One of the initiatives implemented by the group was the substitution of single-use plastics for organic materials, such as paper for the new cups, bamboo for cutlery, sugar cane for the lids of the containers, and reusable materials such as pans and trays in the economy cabin and cloth bags in the business cabin.
→ LATAM Colombia inaugurated its new route between Bogota and Orlando
This was complemented by the work being done by LATAM with its “Recycle your trip” program, which promotes the segregation of certain waste generated in the in-flight service to be subsequently recycled, which is under constant review and improvement. Recicla tu viaje” is currently operating on domestic flights in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and is being evaluated for implementation in Brazil in the near future.
LATAM also continued its “Segundo Vuelo” (Second Flight) program, which gives the airline’s uniforms and various unused textile items a second life. South American craftswomen and entrepreneurs transform these items into new products, such as passport holders, luggage tags, wallets and key rings, among others.
In May 2021, the LATAM group launched its renewed sustainability strategy in which it set challenging goals: to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050; to eliminate single-use plastics by 2023; and to become a zero waste to landfill group by 2027, with the aim of contributing to the protection of South America’s ecosystems for the next 30 years.
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