Singapore (TAN): In a bid to make the planet stay greener, Singapore Airlines has upgraded its in-flight sustainability efforts by cutting down on food wastage and use of plastics, and using sustainably-sourced ingredients in meals on board.
Senior Vice President Customer Experience at Singapore Airlines Yeoh Phee Teik said: “We are proud to have embarked on a new era of greater sustainability, with an enhanced focus on environmentally responsible practices on board that will significantly reduce our carbon footprint and improve the sustainable travel experience of our customers.”
[ALSO READ: FairBnb aims to bring back ‘share’ in the ‘sharing economy’]
Reducing the use of single-use plastics with alternative sustainable materials
The airline has a few plans up its sleeve to reduce the use of plastics. Singapore Airlines has already stopped handing out plastics straws to adults on board since last September, the airline said. By September this year, it aims to become completely plastic straw-free after replacing children’s plastic straws with eco-friendly paper straws.
The moves, the airline claimed, could bring down the circulation of about 820,000 plastic straws each year.
The carrier plans to print colouring books and activity kits for kids with eco-friendly soy-based ink. May 2019 onwards, Singapore Airlines will use recyclable paper packaging for children’s toys.
The carrier also wishes to substitute its plastic swizzle sticks with wood-based ones by next September.
[ALSO READ: FlixBus to start operations in Houston and US Gulf Coast region from this month]
Other green initiatives include using paper products including menu cards, tissue paper and toilet rolls made with FSC-certified paper that are sourced in environmentally responsible ways.
Bringing down food wastage and sustainable food sourcing
Singapore Airlines presently uses data analytics and staff feedback to cut down on in-flight food wastage. It further plans to employ artificial intelligence to understand and forecast customers’ consumption patterns even better and reduce food waste.
The airline will collaborate with United States-based indoor vertical farm AeroFarms to uphold its ‘From Farm to Plane’ concept and support local farming communities.
AeroFarm, which uses aeroponic technology to grow its produce indoors, without soil, insecticides or sunlight, will supply produce for the carrier’s Newark, United States to Singapore flights from next September.
“Imagine boarding a plane and enjoying a salad harvested only a few hours before takeoff – literally the world’s freshest airline food,” said Antony McNeil, Food and Beverage Director, Singapore Airlines.
[ALSO READ: #MyMicrogap campaign inspires youngsters to explore UK]
Singapore Airlines, along with its Singapore-based catering partner SATS, currently sources a select variety of produce from two local farms for flights taking off from Singapore, and plans to involve local vertical farms to increase its scope.
“As vertical farms are not weather dependent but operate under a controlled environment, crops can be grown year-round, thereby increasing the amount of sustainable produce to support more of the Airline’s needs,” Teik said.
Related posts:
This Qantas flight produced zero waste, courtesy fully compostable starch cutlery
Emirates recycles on World Environment Day, converts advertising billboards into reusable bags
United Airlines flies the most eco-friendly commercial aircraft, creates history
US: Frontier Airlines giving away free flights to travellers with last name ‘Green’
What about plastic drinks cups. On recent flights I must have had 20 or more. Are these single use ?