Overview
The war on waste has taken to the skies, with airlines pledging to reduce their reliance upon single-use plastics. Qantas has committed to phase out 100 million disposable items from 2020 onwards, Portuguese charter carrier Hi Fly wants to become the world's first no-plastics carrier within the next 12 months, and now a flight free of the pesky products will make its way to Australia — landing on Earth Day.
Departing from Abu Dhabi on Sunday, April 21 and arriving in Brisbane at around 5.30pm on Monday, April 22, the Etihad flight will become the world's first long-haul commercial flight to dispense with single-use plastic items, replacing more than 95 objects — and over 50 kilograms that'd usually be headed to landfill — with environmentally friendly alternatives. It's not the first ever flight to do so, with Hi Fly jetting between Portugal and Brazil sans plastic waste late last year; however it is the first to achieve the feat over such a hefty distance.
Eco-conscious cups, cutlery, dishes, headset bags, cart seals and toothbrushes will replace regular plastic versions, and sustainable amenity kits, eco-plush toys and eco-thread blankets will also be loaded onboard — with coffee cups made from natural grain products and nothing coming wrapped in disposable plastic. Where Etihad was unable to find a single-use plastic free alternative to a standard item, it removed the item from the service completely.
The move comes as part of Etihad's plan to drastically reduce its use of throwaway items, setting itself a number of milestones. By June 1, the airline has pledged to remove up to 20 percent of single-use plastics from its flights — totalling 100 tonnes by the end of the year. And by the end of 2022, it has committed to reducing its disposable plastics use by 80 percent across the entire company.