Bio-hazard dilemmas
Jon Godson, assistant director aviation environment - best practices at IATA, believes there's an urgent need for harmonisation and regulation between countries and aviation stakeholders to help overcome the challenge of cabin waste.
The airline industry has been criticised for the lack of reuse and recycling of its cabin products and with continued global passenger growth, cabin waste volumes are set to increase significantly.
In the absence of initiatives based on the circular economy and smarter regulation, this waste volume could double in the next 10 years, based on current passenger growth rates. The regulations governing waste from international flights are based on animal (and not human) health concerns and IATA has commissioned a study from a veterinary consultancy to look into the risks. The study concluded that the risk of disease transfer from airline meals is minimal and that smuggled animal products concealed in passenger baggage represents a more significant risk. With over 70% of emerging infectious diseases in humans being linked to an animal source, IATA feels enforcement may be being targeted in the wrong area. In response, IATA has partnered with OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) on a communication campaign to raise passenger awareness of the dangers of smuggling animal products.
Cabin waste is subject to strict regulatory requirements which minimises the potential that single use plastic (SUP) products from airlines can end up in the marine environment. Despite this, airlines stand ready with passengers to take on the challenge of replacing SUP with alternative inflight products that are more sustainable. SUP products offer a wide variety of benefits including being safe, hygienic and light-weight and are widely used in aviation. Although many SUP products can be removed or replaced easily (e.g. straws, stirrers, cutlery, etc.), others are more problematic and need to comply with aviation’s security, hygiene and safety restrictions.
For international airlines, the surge in SUP bans and restrictions presents an additional challenge, with over 127 countries regulating the consumption of plastic bags, and 27 more extending these bans to other SUP products. Airports and civil aviation authorities are adding to the confusion by applying their own SUP restrictions. We now face the challenge of asymmetric legislation with certain
SUP products banned on the outbound and others on the return leg.
Whilst airlines are keen to comply, a lack of harmonisation between key stakeholders makes cooperation and compliance difficult. Moves to introduce more sustainable cabin products will be undermined if regulators do not adopt a risk-based approach to catering wastes and continue to insist that these products are bio-hazardous, requiring specialised treatment including incineration, making bio-treatment (composting) impossible. •
SAS believes change is a powerful word only to be used around significant innovation. The launch of new aircraft gave it a chance to make just such a real difference.
Scandinavian ways
The arrival of its new fuel-efficient A350-900 aircraft gave SAS the opportunity to transform its offering and focus on what it believes is the Scandinavian way of travel. At the same time, the airline has taken an important step in its journey to become a leader for sustainable travel by putting the issue at the heart of the design process. The enhanced onboard experience is designed to reflect the capacity of the aircraft – with innovation, sustainability and Scandinavian entrepreneurship shaping the exterior, interior and F&B offering.
Partnership approach
New packaging for its award-winning New Nordic by SAS food concept saw SAS suppliers come up with a solution that replaces the inside plastic container of the cube with a paper one. It is made of Fsc-approved paper with a coating made from organic plant-based plastic. The new design will
save up to 51 tons of plastics per year. It also partnered with Grönska, a Swedish tech company using vertical farming to produce greens in urban environments. This has cut transport movements to SAS hubs, and inspired the reopening of abandoned warehouses. The technology also allows cultivation of vegetables and berries using 95% less water than traditional farming and 42% less energy per plant compared to greenhouse growing. Grönska has created sustainable salad mixes grown using zero pesticides. The mixes are especially grown to suit in-air taste palates as the technology enables flavour adaptation by using different colours of lighting during the growing process.
Spurring innovation
Leading Stockholm cocktail bar Tjoget, ranked number 37 on the list of the world’s 50 best bars, has produced a collection of ready-made organic cocktails and mocktails for SAS Business.
While a further collaboration in
Business sees SAS working with Johan &
Nyström, a coffee roaster based in Länna, outside of Stockholm. This coffee's origin and the full transparency of the production process from plant to cup mean SAS Business passengers are offered an organic and Fairtrade-certified coffee.
Business passengers also receive new comfort kits launched in 2019, which include travel essentials sourced from sustainable Scandinavian suppliers Filippa K, Verso and The Humble Co.
Building on tradition
In renewing one of Scandinavia’s most recognisable brands, the guiding principles were customer benefit, sustainability and innovation – three things that have always been key for SAS’ product development and innovation.
The new livery is a modern take on classic Scandinavian design, with technology and design work together across the cabin. Mood lighting, for example, reflects the colour tones of the Scandinavian sunrise and sunset.
Getting active
Being Scandinavian is about being welcoming so SAS and Airbus developed a stylish welcome area at the entrance door. During the flight, this area becomes a self-service refreshment bar for Business travellers and improves the working conditions of the crew by providing a spacious preparation area. The welcome area is a strategic wellbeing element designed to foster movement and activity during a flight.
Also new and supporting wellbeing through movement is a first-of-its-kind snack shop where Economy passengers can enjoy a variety of snacks. A ‘power barʼ, integrated in the interior design at the aft of the cabin, allows passengers to have a subtle work out, with pull-ups also available for a heftier activity session.
Class act
As well as transforming the seating space of each cabin, with features such as high-resolution IFE throughout, the A350 also features a new work environment for crew. In addition to eight spacious beds for cabin crew and pilots, galleys have been redesigned to provide larger work surfaces. The A350 cabin crew also have ipads to help with the personalisation of service and make it easier report faults to maintenance. •