Tableware: The disposables debate
As sustainability moves up the agenda, disposables are getting a bad press. Jo Austin asks are their days numbered for inflight service?
Disposable tableware is affordable and convenient. It can be made in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes and is lightweight. Sounds perfect for the onboard airline catering industry, right? So what’s the problem?
answer is nothing – while it is in use, that is. The issue occurs once these products have reached the end of their life. Plastic items have come in for particular criticism, in part due to their impact on ocean eco-systems, as highlighted by the BBC's hit show Blue Planet II. But as consumer awareness shifts towards green options, what are airlines to do?
Belgium-based deSter (now part of gategroup) was probably the ‘founder’ of tableware for the hospitality industry, established in 1936. Global director product development Philippe De Naeyer says: “The bottom line is that disposables are light, and less weight means less CO2 emissions.
“However, rotables are still commonly used for long-haul flights due to the fact that washing facilities are available in the catering stations. In some cases we see a shift from disposables to rotable; some airlines keep steel cutlery in the main cabin due to the zero-plastic perception.
“Key factors that influence this decision are the onboard service model, weight impact on carbon footprint, available space, legislation, supply chain setup and the need for flexibility.
“Short-haul operations mostly don’t include washing facilities and here the trend continues to be towards disposable packaging and service ware. Also for buy-on-board meals, disposables are used as most often they cannot return to the caterer who pre-packed the food.”
Many shades of green
LSG Group’s inflight equipment subsidiary, SPIRIANT, supplies both rotable and disposable items to airlines. For charter flights, disposable is always the first choice, but the business has developed a portfolio of sustainable products. “Reusable, recycling and compostable solutions are one way to make an impact and we are also increasingly looking into waste and recycling management with our suppliers”, says Vladislav Voron, product manager leisure & smart solutions.
One big issue, says WK Thomas sales director Des Thurgood, is that a lot of disposables, particularly plastics, are demonised by the term ‘single use’. “This is inaccurate in a lot of cases as many disposables, including plastics, have a high degree of recycled content.
“The fact that many disposables do not need to be washed and can be compostable, means the [green] argument is more complex than many
Disposables are light, and less weight means less
co2 emissions
want to admit. Disposable packaging protects hygiene standards and can prolong the life of food within the supply chain as well."
Similarly, Jane Bernier-Tran, vp global sales and marketing at RMT Global Partners, says the low cost and efficiency of disposables means they are likely to remain an integral part of inflight service.
In France, from January 2020, a new law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted. But there is debate within scientific and manufacturing sectors worldwide as to whether the energy required to produce environmentally friendly plastics is greener than the alternatives.
Cost is king
Kaelis Group is looking for eco-friendly materials to comply with new regulations but acknowledges that price is a challenge for the airline industry. Chief executive Federico Heitz says: “Disposable products could continue to work if made 100% of one material which can be recycled. Meanwhile, we are looking at compostable solutions but they are still more expensive. In a move to reduce the CO2 footprint we have designed a stackable food container that reduces transport costs simply by needing less space.“
It's a balancing act
Global-C is in this space too. Director Wayne Costigan insists disposables are here to stay, though the emphasis is now on considering how products are handled after use. “We have designed ‘environmentally-friendlier’ solutions to satisfy a range of end-of-life scenarios,” he says. “That means PET recycling systems in Europe; compostable cutlery packs, dishes and paper cups that will disappear over shorter periods; and polymer coatings for paperboard that can be recycled, composted or incinerated.”
Seattle-based Global Inflight Products (GIP) has been supplying onboard products for over 20 years. Chief executive Lisa Benzaoui says market trends in disposables is a balancing act between environmental concerns and cost, while customers are still demanding durable, versatile products that enhance the brand image.
The issue is impacting across the table setting with a greater demand for pocket-fold napkins:
“As the trend to eliminate plastic bags gains momentum, pocket-fold napkins with cutlery are a great way to present passengers with an elegant yet affordable solution. These products can be made using biodegradable, recyclable, and compostable materials, “says Benzaoui.
Styles and trends
Quality and style are key. Costigan says: “We have seen growing demand for items that exude quality and style rather than looking flimsy and cheap. We have also seen an increase in layering of food in inflight meal service, especially salads and desserts. Transparent dishes that are taller than standard are best and we are working on several disposable and rotable programmes where layered food will feature.
"DIY snacks, which require the consumer to assemble the offering are also gathering popularity. The packaging keeps components fresh, allows for personal customisation and adds some fun to the experience.”
RMT’s UK-based Roland Standaert has noticed a trend for airlines only to hand out items such as straws or cups on request. “Some airlines are trialling onboard separation of disposables by crew after service. For instance, the separate collection of PET cups for easy recycling.
"We are also seeing suppliers marketing closedloop, or cradle-to-grave supply chains where they offer customers the disposable items as well as the means to recycle after use. This approach requires a higher level of investment and service integration than some airlines may want to commit to. It may also limit an airline’s ability to make changes to its supply chain in line with fluctuations in demand.”
The shift towards recyclables is also affecting design trends, says deSter’s Vanderheyden. While five years ago bio-based or recycled disposables were trying to copy the look of fossil fuel plastics, there is now a growing demand for natural colours and textures which reinforce the ‘eco ʼ aesthetic of materials. “The look and feel should in a way make it clear to everyone that the items are from a sustainable resource or fit in a circular system,” he says.
Reusable vs recyclable
Thurgood, meanwhile, is confident there will be a movement towards reuseable products over the next five years, whether this be packaging that can be recycled or packaging designed to be reused by the consumer, such as drinking cups.
“The use of rPET in food packaging will undoubtedly grow as it can be reused for up to seven cycles and a relatively good infrastructure for waste collection already exists. In the case of reuseables this will continue to grow where it is easy for consumers to use. For example, our exclusive POKITO cup can be reused literally thousands of times and can easily fit inside a pocket,” he says.
Heitz, however, sees further challenges: “Many players in the market are offering products made of recycled paper. This is not the most ecofriendly solution, as it requires a plastic coating in order to be in contact with food and once this coating is applied, the recycling becomes complex as separating the paper from the plastic is expensive.”
Looking good
Branded disposables are a growing trend. Advances in printing technology and the use of solvent-free water-based inks mean that board products can be made in all sorts of
finishes that add a look of luxury and style. “The key is to deliver quality, yet elegant products with the ability to be customised with an airline logo and colour palette,” says Benzaoui.
“Paper cups for hot beverages provide an excellent alternative to styrofoam cups and our indestructible PET cups achieve superior clarity and are about 30% less expensive than breakable PS injection cups. Airlines can have their logo embossed to reinforce their brand – which is impossible to do on injection plastic cups.
View on disposable drinking cups are divided. As multiple cold drinks are served on long-haul flights, reusable glasses which have to be washed are impractical and take up a lot of space.
"Disposable glasses can be collected separately and recycled or composted. For hot drinks we are seeing a shift from rotable to disposable,” explains Vanderheyden.
“The rotable cup that comes with the meal tray is being replaced by a disposable cup served during the separate coffee service after the meal.
"We are doing considerable research into high stackable, environmentally friendly cups and smart waste collection systems”.
Green future
While the idea of environmentally-friendly disposables seems a contradiction in terms, clearly suppliers are developing more and more products from sustainable ingredients. As Benzaoui says: “The airline industry will still need and use disposables onboard. The transition to 100% eco-friendly products will be gradual”. •