Table of Contents

1 Abstract: .............................................................................................................................................. 4
2 Cabin Waste in Hong Kong- An introduction .................................................................................... 5
2.1 Airline Sector: .......................................................................................................................... 7-8
2.2 Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts: ..................................................................... 9-10
3 Literature Review: ........................................................................................................................ 10-12
3.1 Waste audit: .............................................................................................................................. 11
3.2 Facility Walk-Through: ............................................................................................................ 12
3.3 Direct measurement and scanning: ............................................................................................ 12
3.4 How to manage: ........................................................................................................................ 13
4 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 14
4.1 Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................ 15
4.2 Site Visit: .................................................................................................................................. 17
4.3 Onsite Handling: ....................................................................................................................... 18
4.3.1 Food Waste Recycling ....................................................................................................... 20
4.3.2 Food Rescue Program ........................................................................................................ 20
4.3.3 Waste Recognition Scheme ................................................................................................ 21
4.3.4 Passengers Awareness Scheme: ......................................................................................... 21
4.3.5 Municipal Solid Waste Charging Pilot .... ......................................................................... 21
4.3.6 Landfilling: ........................................................................................................................ 21
4.4 Facilitation of Recycling ............................................................................................................ 21
4.5 Secondary Data Collection: ....................................................................................................... 22
5 Results and Discussion: ...................................................................................................................... 23
5.1 Cabin waste generation: ............................................................................................................. 24
5.2 Types of cabin waste (composition and distribution): ............................................................... 25
6 Conclusion: ................................................................................................................................... 28-30
6.1 Recommendations: ................................................................................................................ 30-
32
7 Limitations and Future Work ........................................................................................................ 32-36

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 7.1 Future Work expectations: ......................................................................................................... 36
7.2 Limitations: ............................................................................................................................... 37
8 References: .....................................................................................................................................38-39

Table of figures:
Figure 1: Location of Hong Kong ................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 2 ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3: Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 15
Figure 4: Different type of waste over the years ........................................................................................ 18
Figure 5: Onsite handling of food waste .................................................................................................... 19
Figure 6: Dewatering ................................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 7: Data Source: AAHK Sustainability Report ................................................................................ 20
Figure 8: Catering Waste ........................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 9: Cleaning waste ........................................................................................................................... 26
Figure 10: Composition of Cabin waste .................................................................................................... 27
Figure 11: Waste hierarchy ........................................................................................................................
35 Figure 12: Management of cabin waste .....................................................................................................
36

Table:
Table 1: Questionnaire...................................................................................................................15
Table 2........................................................................................................................................... 23
Table 3........................................................................................................................................... 23
Table 4: The major categories of cabin waste................................................................................26
Table 5: Cabin waste generation rate per person..........................................................................27
Table 6: Cabin and galley waste generation of different flights.....................................................28
Table 7: Food waste generation of different flights.......................................................................28

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 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

AAHK Airport Authority Hong Kong

HKIA Hong Kong International Airport

IATA International Air Transport Association

NRDC Natural Resources Defense Council

ICW International Catering Waste

Page 3
1 Abstract

Cabin waste costs money to airlines, wastes scarce capital, and destroys the reputation for
sustainability in the industry. Such cabin waste amounts are going to be double in the upcoming
years with a passenger growth rate currently at 7.6 percent per year. The concern of passengers
about the waste of the airline segment is growing and now it is an open challenge for this sector
to hold its economy. Airlines have failed to develop cohesive systems to make the use of cabin
waste being generated and recycle it. This waste issue is compounded by the demanding nature
of flight operations including a shortage of cabin space, short turn times, lack of clarification
about waste costs, and regulatory restrictions imposed on catering waste by numerous countries
from international flights. IATA data reveals that more than 20 percent of cabin waste consists of
unused drink and food and with a $15 billion on-board catering market in 2017, this provides a
major opportunity to boost preparation and logistics. The waste of food is developing as a global
matter as it is said that about one third (1.3 billion tonnes) of the food is being wasted annually.
This report deals with the existing activities for the management of cabin waste and looks at
HONG KONG for examples of where best methodology already exists to provide tactics for the
reduction of waste and recycling as well as the regular practices being implemented for the waste
disposal. Such approaches are assembled as a sequence of methods an airline and its service
providers can choose to take to implement cabin waste management improvements. Although the
implementation of individual behavior will yield measurable benefits environmentally, a
concerted organized solution would have a synergistic impact that will contribute to long-haul
change. The objectives of this report are based on a zero-waste principle in which all discarded
resources can be treated as a potential resource and, while aspirational, this goal can be
accomplished through the collective will of the industry, its service providers, and the regulators.
Keywords: Cabin waste, Hong Kong, Airlines

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2 Cabin Waste in Hong Kong- An introduction
Situated in the continent of Asia, Hong Kong inhabits 1,054 sq. kilometers of area and 50 sq.
kilometers of water and hence is considered as the 188th largest nation of the world with a entire
land of 1,104 sq. kilometers. Hong Kong is considered as a separate land of China. The
Population of Hong Kong is 7,153,519 according to the census of 2012. The density of Hong
Kong has been found to be 6,787 per sq. kilometer. The inhabitants of Hong Kong are 93.6 %
Chinese ethnically, and other races are of total 6.4 % [1]

Figure 1: Location of Hong Kong

Hong Kong is considered as one of the world’s wealthiest places. But it has earned the reputation
of the most wasteful country, with a large footprint and the landfills almost full of waste. Another
big issue in the aviation industry. Hong Kong has one of the world's busiest airports, receiving an
average of 200,000 passengers and 1,115 flights a day during the New Year's festive season. The
International Air Transport Association reports that airline passengers worldwide created 5.2
million tons of waste in 2016, much of which ended up in or had been incinerated in the landfill.
The number is expected to double in the next 15 years. The Airport Authority of Hong Kong

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(AAHK) is now on a mission to make Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on earth the
greenest place. The Hong Kong government carried out a waste management strategy in 2013 for
the forthcoming years until 2022. Quick on its feet, the AAHK conducted a report on its methods
of waste management and elaborated a long-term strategy. It set a target of reducing, reusing or
recycling 50 percent of the waste generated at the airport by 2021, from vehicle tires to cooking
oil. [2] The AAHK found that the most waste was churned out by aircraft cabins, from toilet
waste to half-eaten food trays, followed by the food industry at the airport, then garbage and
recycling bins. Combined, these three outlets accounted for over 80 percent of HKIA ravage. The
study identified three main areas to tackle and steps to be placed in place by 2021. First, there
must be a reduction in waste output at the source. Second, waste contractors' management needs
to be streamlined to improve recyclable recycling and sorting. Finally, educational initiatives
must be offered to travelers, restaurateurs, distributors, and contractors at the airport to bring
about a shift of attitude towards waste management and separation. To promote AAHK's waste
reduction and recycling efforts towards the public, a passenger awareness program was created.
Mike Kilburn, who is currently General Manager at AAHK for the sustainability sector said,
since 2003, The Airport faculty has been assembling food left-over for reprocessing. In 2011, the
possibility of collection extended to shelter 17 airport business associates including guesthouses
and cabin caterers, and 29 diet and beverage occupants and lounges within the terminal
buildings. So far the consequences have been found inspiring: In 2016-2017, food leftover of
2,130 tons was transformed into fishmeal, and food leftover of 24 tons assembled was converted
into dung for suitable greening of airline herbaceous plots.
AAHK has also paid heed to airport travels and airlines and is looking forward to design
strategies for the gradual replacement of the entire vehicle taskforce with the introduction of
vehicles which are a mixture of electric or fuel-efficient features. According to the Airline
Sustainability Report (2015-16) of Hong Kong, the entire reprocessing frequency of the cabin
waste fell from 12.2 % in 2014/15 to 7.5% in 2015/16. This is an entire feature showcasing the
minor worth of reprocessing measures in the marketplace and the airport staff or patrons didn’t
utilize the facts in improving the situation.

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Meanwhile, in March of 2017, Hong Kong’s government declared a statement that in the mid of
2019, the charging mechanism for Municipal Solid Waste will be initiated. Complete instructions
for the implementation of mechanisms will be finalized after the collection of opinions from
concerned industries and societies. AAHK has been leading an MSW charging mechanism to
establish new ways that can better promote recycling in airports on a vast level. As said by
Kilburn the concerned authorities are developing the most reliable and reasonable plans to
effectively manage the system. [3]

2.1 Airline Sector:

One of the emerging industries in the world is air transport. The journey through aircraft is safe,
fast, and reliable. One can save enough time by planning their journey by air. Also, there are
relatively few chances of meeting an accident. Presently the air sector is considered the most
preferred mean of traveling especially for business work. And it has been estimated that soon the
flight system will be given priority on all transportation modes. [4]

• Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific Airlines Ltd. (CPA), also known as Cathay Pacific or Cathay, is a flag carrier
in Hong Kong along with headquarters and chief center at the country’s International
Airport. [5]
• Dragonair
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited, functioning as Dragonair, is a Hong Kongbased
international sector with its head office, Dragonair Home, and Hong Kong International
Airport's main center. The airline runs a programmed system of travelers to 44 places in a
total of 13 countries and regions in Asia. Furthermore, the carrier has 3 codeshares on
instructions functioned by neighbor airlines. [6]
• Heliservices
Heliservices Limited is a Hong Kong-based airline running public and international flight
contracts and lifting and building works. It also offers a flying limousine facility amid the
Hong Kong International Airport.[7]

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• Hongkong Express Airways
HK Express, is a minor cost Hong Kong-based air company providing programmed air
facilities to 9 Asian regions counting China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
International Airport of Hong kong’s major center practices a taskforce comprising merely of
Airbus A320s. [8]

• Hongkong Airlines
Hong Kong Airlines, formerly CR Airways Ltd, IATA: N8, is a Hong Kong-based airline
with its head office in Tung Chung and its foremost center at Hong Kong International
Airport. The airline runs a series of programmed flights for regional passenger and cargo
facilities to almost 10 endpoints in China and Southeast Asia, and almost 30 sites including
Beijing, Shanghai, Sanya, Bangkok, Bali, and Okinawa. [9]

Figure 2

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2.2 Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts
It is a complex operation to manage the airport sector which is focused on dealing with political,
social, and, economic issues in growing years. In order to function effectively in the given
setting, a basic knowledge of airline networking, operation, and economy is needed. Foreseeing
the development of today’s world, it is mandatory that aviation of any kind around the globe is
safe, contented, eco-friendly, and absorbs the ideologies of worldwide hygiene in its general
functioning. The airline sector’s hypothetical and noteworthy ecological influence, especially
factors like quality of air, noise, and management of solid harmful solid waste, should be
addressed by executing maintainable ecological policies. The scheme must be tailed by its
management and harmless dumping of cabin waste either it is harmful pathogens and direct
contact to perilous materials, noise, etc. since the burden of cabin waste disposal is increasing
with every passing day. [10]

Whatever you are being offered within a cabin of an airline is packed in plastic. Cuisines that are
being offered onboards function underneath the firmest policies of diet safety, cleanliness
guidelines, freshness, and weight, so packing in plastic is the option they use. On-board waste
counting left-over food and drink packaging, newspapers for travelers, paper towels, and plastic
packaging from headphones to blankets all went through contamination-restricting waste
supervisory guidelines within the country. The plastic-lined hot beverage cups, the plastic-
wrapped blanket, the plastic bagged earbuds, the plastic cold beverage cups, the long-haul meals
wrapped in plastic casing, along with roller bags, the cheese sandwich packed in plastic
packaging, the different kind of bottles for the meals and sauces needed, and the disposable
plastic sheaths that are being used in flights have been creating an environmental issue of a big
kind. Cabin waste is composed of food, once used plastics, and items for substitution such as
decomposable earthenware and cutlery cannot be recycled, reused, or go through treatment
services like composting. According to the International Air Transport Association’s report of
2016, passengers in different airlines have generated 5.7 million tons of waste globally alone, the
major segment of which has been dumped into landfills or the furnace around the globe. It is
predicted that this figure would nearly double to 10 million tons per year by the end of 2030. Yet
nearly 75% of inflight waste can be reprocessed, according to the statistics of the Natural
Resources Defense Council research report of 2010. [11]

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3 Literature Review
All waste that is generated in the cabins of aircraft, which includes waste generated from
catering, galley waste, cleaning of waste, and waste that is carried by passengers on-board is
called Cabin waste.

Management of all waste must be implemented efficiently and cost-effectively by the airport, but
they may face many challenges in the process, even though there are a lot of economically
suitable and environment-friendly practices available that can be utilized. Implementation of a
successful waste management system at an airport not only affects the airport authorities and
customers but also has the potential to positively impact the surrounding community in general.
Airport waste management relies on national/local regulations, drivers, and realities because of
airports being local entities. Deplaned wasted or cabin waste, is a specific type of Municipal
Solid Waste, that is taken out of airplanes, and it compromises of about 20% of all the airport’s
MSW. Waste from aircraft includes “galley waste” – compactor boxes, waste bags, food carts,
and other materials collected by airline caterers after the flight – which may be disposed of more
strictly. [12]

From a layover in Miami, Megan Epler Wood, the director of the International Sustainable
Tourism Initiative at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health tells HuffPost that “That’s the
upsetting thing about flying, they’re just throwing everything into one bag. And there’s no effort
to separate, which means you know they’re not recycling because they can’t. Once the plastic or
anything else becomes contaminated, it can’t be recycled.”

Food waste cannot be avoided and is created daily. For example, The Cathay Pacific Group
delivers 110,000 meals every day through their Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon, and Cathay
Pacific Catering Services (CPCS). This problem has been identifier and many measures are being
taken to minimize food waste, for example, regular monitoring of on-board food consumption,
using leftover and waste food in animal feed, and processing used cooking oil as fuel for
vehicles. But still better management is required. CPCS alone serves 83,800 meals out of which
61,000 are served on flights, and Cathay Dragon serves 29,000 meals a day. In 2011 in the Hong
Kong Airport

Page 10
Authority’s food recycling scheme, we collected and sorted all the waste in our offices, canteens,
restaurants, crew cabin and air lounges and since 2013 we have been donating all of our excess
food to a local charity, Food Angel which uses it to distribute hot meals to the underprivileged
community in Hong Kong, and we have donated 3,655 kg of food by now. Due to very strict
health and safety rules in our international flights, most of the excess food material either must
be buried or burned by our outports.

Following methods are used to obtain statistics on airlines cabin waste:

3.1 Waste audit

This is a type of study in which we track the waste, where it came from, what type of waste, and
where it will end up. The waste audit helps should also keep track of the amount of waste and
help recognize new methods to recycle, reuse, and reduce. This audit is an important step in
finalizing an effective waste management plan, specifically when creating a recycling system.
Waste Audit helps analyze the utilization and disposal of items in the facility and how they are
distributed among different areas. However, this kind of study requires that one have extensive
knowledge of the airport regulations and operations in their domain because each airport is
confronted with unique situations and problems, which are very high and primarily constrained
to the geographical location of the airport and its social standing and condition, among other
variable factors. [13]

3.2 Facility Walk-Through

A facility walk through provides firsthand and qualitative information about the waste
management and handling practices of all staff and customers, which is the primary benefit of
using this method of analysis. In this method, we track and observe how much waste is generated
in the facility at a time and how it moves about in different areas of the airport. We also need to
evaluate the current capability of the airport of storage space available for waste and methods of
recycling it, among other collection tasks. Talking to the custodial staff is a prime method of
information gathering in a facility walkthrough, and they should be inquired about their waste
generation and clearance routines.

3.3 Direct measurement and scanning

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Indirect measurement and scanning, we measure the generated food waste directly and there are
two methods for that, either by measurement of volume or by measurement of weight. Now
measuring volume is not a standard method and it has not been recorded in any studies in this
review, so it is seldom used. So instead we weigh our food waste, and this is our paramount
method of assessing the amount of food waste generated. Weighing alone is enough but it may
also be used in combination with another waste management system such as waste composition
analysis. The methods are direct measurement, scanning, and questionnaires. Scanning is only
suited in situations where items are boxed or packaged, having a barcode, for scanning. This
means that scanning is only performed at the end of a packaging line or storage. Although it does
satisfy the need to quantify waste if used as an auxiliary technique in conjunction with weighing,
it can be a good method.

The issues of cabin waste date back to over 2 decades, when the attributes of the waste flow
started being examined to identify problematic areas and to establish recycling techniques. Even
though the problem was recognized so early, airlines and catering firms still established proper
recycling systems and the waste obtained is usually of poor quality due to the combination of
different types of waste. Many factors including low landfill disposal levels, especially for
inorganic parts, not having any suitable facilities and confining regulations have always
prevented airlines from searching for solutions dedicatedly. However, a shift in the pattern has
been observed in the past few years. Upon careful research by the authors of this paper, multiple
airlines, and stakeholders, particularly the catering firms have expanded their attempts to tackle
this problem. The airline catering industry, which produces over 600 meals annually worldwide,
has been under the radar till now. This number is likely to increase as the population grows and
air travel gets more affordable each year. Most of the Food waste research has been focusing on
measuring plate waste and examining it, ignoring the need for reviewing food waste drivers and
the conveniences and barriers to waste minimization. [14]

3.4 How to manage

Cathay Pacific is a member of the IATA Cabin Waste Working Group, which seeks to tackle the
cabin waste management by airline companies. The airline has recycled 467 tons of plastic,

Page 12
1,983 tons of paper and cardboard, and 463 tons of glass on inbound flights to Hong Kong in
2018. The waste is not recycled on the outbound flight and it cannot be taken back due to
hygiene regulations which often prohibit the recycling of waste from international flights.

Swire Properties aims to remove 80% of its building waste from landfills at its Two Taikoo Place
to fulfill its BEAM Plus ratings specifications.

“In 2018, Cathay Pacific recycled 467 tons of plastic, 1,983 tons of paper and cardboard, and 463
tons of glass on inbound flights to Hong Kong.”

HAECO Hong Kong and HAESL have introduced waste separation systems and strengthened the
contractor controls to guarantee that scrap wood are then sent to some suitable recycler,
consequently, the recycling rate at HAECO Hong Kong rose from 2 percent in 2016 to 39
percent in 2017. In 2018, this standard was upheld. Cathay Pacific Catering Services is
converting old rice packaging into household recycling bags with St. James Settlement
Upcycling Centre. Cathay Pacific also retired six old planes and introduced new A350-1000
aircraft which save fuel costs. It was collaborating with aircraft suppliers, approved companies of
the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Group, and another end of life professionals to repurpose spare parts
and recycle or reuse materials and components, out of which a large number may be recertified
or sold to other customers. Under PAMELA (Airbus’ Process for Advanced Management of
End-of-Life Aircraft), grounded Airbus A340s have been recycled with almost 90 percent of
their parts being reused or reclaimed. Hazardous waste, primarily lubrication oil is transported
for safe disposal by expert waste handlers. They donated a B777-200 to a museum.

Minimization of total waste in the operation and value streams of an airport does not only mean
optimization of the number of waste products being reused or recycled but also understanding the
social, economic, environmental, and operational effects on the airport management in a wider
perspective. [15]

4 Methodology

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To understand and analyze the difference between the short-haul and long-haul flights, the
following methodology will help to cater to the issue. The following figure below is shown as:

Secondary Data
Questionnaire Site Visit
Collection

Figure 3: Methodology

In the above mentioned figure, questionnaire is developed to determine the current condition of
waste management. It includes questions related to waste generation. Handling and treatment
/management of produced waste. Site visit helped to understand the waste management strategies
being carried on airport. It help to understand and cater the problem regarding the waste collection
and management at airport. It includes the in-flight collection of waste. Secondary data collection
is being collected from the online researches which is being carried out on airport. It help to
evaluate the type and amount of waste being generated in short and long haul flights.

4.1 Questionnaire

As described earlier, Hong Kong's international airport is one of the largest as well as the busiest
in the world. A large amount of waste is generated throughout the day in different activities.
Keeping in view the complexities of operation and management of the airport and in-flight
activities, the following questionnaire is designed to investigate the in-flight waste generated in
long and short-haul flights of Hong Kong International Airport. The analysis can been done by
involving stakeholders, waste management monitoring team of the Airport. The purpose of this
study is to analyze the production of food waste in short and long-haul flights. The following
questionnaire will help us to develop a sense to undergo a keen study. We have prepared the
questionnaire but due to prevailing condition related to Covid-19 pandemic, we didn’t fill the
questionnaire.

Table 1: Questionnaire

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 Question statement Not at all Slightly Somewhat Mostly Completely
true true true true true

1. Can you calculate the percentage of

waste generation?

2. Is Food waste collected daily?

3. Are you satisfied with the work
environment?

4. Do you agree on the development;

mental status of the waste authority?

5. Is long haul flights produce more

waste?

6. Is the use of the plastic bag is

prohibited in long and short-haul
flights?

7. Is a collection of inflight waste

occur daily?

8. Are you satisfied with the

percentage of recyclable waste?

9. Does training of the staff

occur?

10. Amount of solid waste is food

waste?

11. Do you treat the generated

waste?

12. Initiative related to the

treatment of solid waste?

13. On-site segregation is done or

not?

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 14. Percentage of in-flight waste is
recycled or not?

15. Percentage of in-flight waste is

recycled or not?

16. Percentage of in-flight waste is

reduced or not?

I developed the questionnaire but due the current situation of lockdown around the globe, we
couldn’t collect the data from our sources. So I had to go through a series of research papers and
thoroughly went through statistics of cabin waste management in past years. And after studying all
facts and figures in detail, I managed to extract result from the past data.

4.2 Site Visit

The site visit is done to know the waste management strategies being carried out at the airport.
The number of schemes is introduced there to manage their waste effectively, which are
discussed below:
The Hong Kong International Airport addresses one of the most important impacts of
environmental which is waste disposal and waste management review. Infrastructure solutions
and modern design for waste collection can help to improve reduction in waste production,
recycling of waste, and recovery rates.
Transport through Air is one of the fastest-growing industries. Worldwide, the disposal and
management of solid waste are some of the prime issues in the management of the environment
in the airline industry. In this site visit, the waste collection systems and the key points to
potential minimization of waste are evaluated. After reviewing the reports, it is being estimated
that the total in-flight waste per flight is 500 kg which includes kitchen waste and cabin waste
(Food waste). The meal in the menu cards and the newspaper mainly contain 32 to 71 % of the
total kitchen and cabin waste at the airport. 13% of the waste comes from the plastic food covers
and the drinking transparent polystyrene cups. 4% of the total waste contains aluminum. The
Hong Kong international airport is doing a tremendous amount of work to solve the problem of a
large amount of waste. In this manner, waste reduction and many recycling programs are running

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to facilitate the issue. Around 2021, Hong Kong will be able to recycle 50% of the total waste at
the airport. The present collection programs can recycle rate as much as 45-58% of the total
kitchen waste and cabin waste [31] .
The graph below explains the production of waste over the years, the green portion includes
paper waste and the cardboard waste which has been produced massively. The blue portion
relates the food waste which is approximately produced around 50% of the total waste.
The plastic and metals in the black and green regions are produced too but in a small percentage.
Some traces of others include glass, waste cooking oil, lubricating oil, wood tires which are been
produced. The recycling of this waste produced helps to sustain the cause of the environment and
to promote a culture of the green ecosystem. For this, Hong Kong waste management authority is
taking various measures to ensure the waste collection and recycling mechanism to do the good
work which helps them to attract the market gain and helps to promote the economy of the
country. The amount of waste in tones that are being produced is on the x-axis and the trend
concerning years is on the y-axis.

Figure4: Different type of waste over the years

4.3 Onsite Handling

Waste handled at the site where produced is termed as Onsite handling. At the airport, waste is
handled in different systematic approaches which are being discussed one by one below to cater
to the issue of in-flight waste collection, incineration can be the scenario to investigate the
problem. At High temperature, solid waste mostly food waste is being incinerated.

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 Air
Pollution
Control

Food Incineration Ash

Waste Disposal

Energy
Recovery

Figure 5: Onsite handling of food waste

In the figure shown below, the concept of dewatering of the food waste can be done. First
moisture content from the food waste is removed and then the food waste is transported to the
landfill site where energy can be recovered and leachate treatment is done according to designing
of the system. [32]

Energy
Recovery

Food Dewatering Landfill

Waste

Leachate
Treatment

Figure 6: Dewatering

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Onsite handling includes strategies which aim to reduce waste production at the source, these are
discussed below:

4.3.1 Food Waste Recycling

Food waste generated at restaurants and lounges is collected and then composted at terminals.
This recycling program is now expanded to cover airport business partners, airline catering
companies, hotels, and cargo terminals.
4.3.2 Food Rescue Program
Food rescue program is started in collaboration with local NGO and Food Angel in which food is
being collected from restaurants and caterers of “Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)” and
is then managed in three-staged approaches through HKIA Environmental Fund, Stages are
discussed below:
➢ Stage 01
HKIA sponsored Food Angel to purchase the refrigerated trucks and also to cover the operating
cost of collecting waste from business partners on Airport Island.
➢ Stage 02
A central room was constructed at HKIA’s terminal building to store surplus food from catering
outlets.
➢ Stage 03
The scheme extended to include Tung Chung and the Bay of Discovery, while "Food Angel" also
partnered with Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui to distribute the food to the poor.
Owing to its success, the food rescue program continued and HKIA environmental funds were
able to finance new initiatives. 2017 and 18 figures indicate that about 44 tons of food were
collected and 58,000 boxes of hot meals were delivered to the poor. Roughly 150,000 meal boxes
have been distributed since the program began.

4.3.3 Waste Recognition Scheme

Waste recognition scheme developed by Airport authorities so that their tenants and business
partners must owe a responsibility to manage the waste of their part. This program aims to
reduce and minimize waste. Hundreds of retail shops, office tenants, catering outlets, and
cleaning contractors are taking part in this scheme.

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4.3.4 Passengers Awareness Scheme:
Waste recognition scheme expanded to raise similar awareness among the passengers and the
general public through promotional and educational activities. Both schemes proved very
successful to manage the waste generated at the airport.

4.3.5 Municipal Solid Waste Charging Pilot:

According to this scheme an individual is charged on how much waste he/she produces. So, in
this way, everyone will get responsible for waste recycling at their end and will contribute a lot
to waste minimization and recycling.

4.3.6 Landfilling:
Waste after collection from the airport taken to the onsite landfill. Landfilling is an effective
technique being carrying out there.

4.4 Facilitation of Recycling

• Aircraft Cabin Waste

Preparing a master plan for the municipal solid waste by identifying opportunities and need for
improvement activities to prepare the scheme.

• Waste Charging
To strengthen the airport staff, and the quality of the environment at the airport, a mandatory
scheme for municipal solid waste is charged up. Different types of bins and bags are used to
separate the type of waste in the bins. So, it can be easy to utilize the category of waste
separately. It helps the investor to amount the quantity of needed waste disposal which is being
required.
• Recognition
Recognizing the basic parameter to evaluate the waste collection and disposal lead towards the
wider participation of the authorities through an effective waste reduction and measure to recycle
techniques which are to be followed.
• Waste to Energy

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The concept of waste to energy in Hong Kong international airport has increased widely in recent
years. It helps to increase the potential of generated energy and be able to facilitate the operation
and the maintenance cost of the facility. It helps to move further and to explore and carry new
researches regarding waste treatment options and disposal option which suits that area.

4.5 Secondary Data Collection

Secondary data mainly collected to know about the important context of the picture which is
being described in the project. This lead to the solution of the problems in the project. Many
different sources have been used to investigate the problem and to better understand and analyze
the difference between long and short-haul in-flights. The secondary data is collected from the
Environment office (Hong Kong International Airport).
To evaluate the essence of the in-flight, the composition of waste analysis has been conducted
throughout the project. Representations from six different CPA flights choose for the analysis
which includes flights as shown in table 1.1. The in-flight is comprised of two types of waste
which are
• Kitchen waste
• Cabin waste
Table 2
Sr.No Category Routes
1 Two Long Haul Flights Europe and North America
2 Four Short-Haul Flights Asia

Different type of waste is generated in long and short-haul flights such as kitchen waste food
waste, cabin waste, etc. [32]

5 Results and Discussion:

For raising the environmental impact, airlines quickly understand the importance of recycling
and reducing the waste generated from the cabins of flights. [16] According to the results
generated from the series of past research papers I read thoroughly cabin waste management in

Page 21
Honkong, it was found that in long-haul flights the total waste was 45 percent constituting paper,
newspapers, cups made of plastic, beverages, and cutlery item. [21] The plastic wrappers from
pillows and blankets, plastic earphones, hygiene products were left by the passengers. There is
another serious issue that is directly linked to the cabin waste— the waste generated in craft is
sometimes cannot be reprocessed and fixed effectively. Cabin crew is very anxious about the
harmful effects of plastic on the ecosystem. The government is taking measures to lessen the
quantity of food that is wasted. Aircraft sectors are concerned about the challenges that the
current situation will create and whether they will be able to cope with these challenges.

According to the facts, if the situation remains the same then the volume of waste generated from
the cabin will go on increasing in the upcoming years. IATA wishes to encourage the
management technologies adopted by the legislation to reduce cabin waste and to encourage the
solutions that will reduce the costs of production and contribute to the eco-friendly environment.

5.1 Cabin waste generation:

With the increase in opportunities for a common man to take advantage of airlines with luxuries
like food, comforters, etc, there has been a significant upsurge in the amount of inflight waste
being generated every year by airlines. Every time we set off a flight, a significant amount of
waste is generated from the cutlery items we use, discarded bathroom material, and plastic. For
example, according to a 2014 report, per flight, the typical passenger produces an average of 1.43
kilograms (3.15 pounds) of waste before leaving the aircraft — and as air traffic rises, so does
the amount of cabin waste generation. The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
reported that onboard aircraft produced around 6.1 million tons (6.7 million tons) of waste in
2018. A year before, waste was produced at a rate of 5.7 million tons (6.3 million tons of US).
And according to estimates, 23 percent of aircraft-borne garbage is made up of perfectly viable
food and beverages. The regular person generates nearly 1.4 kg of waste per flight. The cost of
plastic makes it the go-to for packaging onboard aircraft. The volume of on-board waste
generated in carrier flights has found huge – and is continuing to upsurge. Issues contributing are
enhancement in passenger consumption, more enfolded food and goods, as well as travelers
keeping purchased food from airports along with them. [17] Airlines have stepped up efforts in

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recent years to tackle waste from cabin problems, but these initiatives are typically scattered and
lack a systematic approach. When wastelands at an airport, there's a limit to how much can be
recycled - due to differing international regulations. Flight delays don’t help the case. If a flight
is delayed by a couple of hours, all meals are discarded and fresh food must be substituted. The
tragic irony of the food waste crisis is that about 815 million people worldwide are hungry, while
on the planet there is enough food to feed everyone. Air travel's environmental toll is well
known, and businesses are trying to find creative ways to reverse and avoid its potential effects.
Below are a couple of ways things improve for the better.

5.2 Types of cabin waste (composition and distribution)

Cabin waste generated can be divided into two categories:

Catering (galley) waste:

Catering waste is usually generated from onboard mealtimes, appetizers, and drinks which are
being offered to inhabitants of the flight. This waste is usually composed of food left-overs,
drinks, and plastic wrappings which are dumped in the trolleys, in stationary or compactor
containers. Unconsumed drinks and food items are also contributing to cabin waste.

Figure8: Catering Waste

Cleaning Waste:
Clean waste is left-over junk generated from items on the aircraft such as magazines, paper
towels, water containers, food spilled on the flooring, comfort supplies, and plastic packing of
bedspreads, cushions, and headphones which are offered to inhabitants of the flight. This kind of
waste also includes the contents of toilet containers and medicinal waste such as needles and
injections used. [17]

Page 23
 Figure 9: Cleaning waste
Table 4: The major categories of cabin waste
Sr No Type Element included
1. Clean paper magazines, newspaper, meal menus
2. Food waste teabags, coffee grounds, any solid food waste
3. Aluminum cans Aluminum can of different sizes
4. Soiled paper & paper Paperboard (liquid), soiled paper item
composite
5. Other film plastics Any film plastics other than identifiable film LDPE, e.g. saran
wraps
6. Other metal items empty food cans, steel cutlery, steel cans
7. Other aluminum items aluminum foil, nut packaging, hot food containers
8. Glass glass bottles, glass jars, china crockery
9. Other Polystrene items tea sets (disposable), napkin rings

10. Textile & linen waste mittens, overnight bags, eyeshades, blankets, towels, socks,
earphones, etc.
11. Transparent Polystrene food covers, Polystrene wine cups, Polyvinyl cups

12. Other rigid plastics beverage bottles, containers, metal containers, cocktail sticks,
plastic bottle caps, foam plastic
13. Miscellaneous color pens, disposable chopsticks, wine cocks

Depending on whether the flight is long or short-haul, low cost, full service, or charter, and
depending on the cabin service offered by each airline, the composition of aircraft waste can vary
considerably. Audits have shown that a high proportion of recyclable content, especially
newspapers and magazines, is present within cabin cleaning waste. The estimated per fight
waste was 500kg including gallery waste and food waste. The study of waste composition
showed that paper (mainly newspaper, meal menu cards, etc.) was the largest portion, varying

Page 24
from 32 percent to 71 percent by weight of the total waste galley and cabin. Another major
component was plastic items. Clear polystyrene drinking cups and food covers contained up to
13 percent of the overall weight. Aluminum cans contributed up to 4 percent of the overall waste.
[18]

Figure10: Composition of Cabin waste

The average amount of cabin and galley waste produced per passenger is shown in Table. The
waste generated by the economy class per person was at least about 0.38 kg per person. Whereas,
the waste generated by the first-class passenger was up to 2.84 kg. The large quantity of waste
per passenger produced in the business and first-class could be accounted for by the greater
quantity of waste types such as food waste, glass bottles, and newspapers that are high "weight to
volume." The waste generated per passenger was greater in long- and medium-haul flights than
that generated by short-haul flights. That was because the medium- and long-haul flights had
more meals and other onboard services. [19]

Table 5: Cabin waste generation rate per person

Flight types Waste per passenger

Overall average Economy class Business-class First-class

long-haul 0.56 0.38 1.14 2.84

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 Medium-haul 0.58 0.48 0.85 1.57
Short-haul 0.40 0.21 1.20 -

The average amount of gallery and cabin waste generated is shown in Table:

for various types of flight the total in-flight range of waste is 134 – 234 kg. This form of waste is
critical for waste management at any of the world's major international airports.
Table 6: Cabin and galley waste generation of different flights
Flight types Waste per (Kilogram)

Total Economy class Business-class First-class

long-haul 234 119 64 51
Medium-haul 226 150 48 28
Short-haul 134 66 68 -

Table 7 indicates the total amounts of food waste. For different flights in the study, the overall
food waste for a complete loading flight was estimated at 152 – 244 kg. The levels of in-flight
food waste from the facilities were in a very close range of galley and cabin waste. Because of
the multi-meal facilities on board the medium and long haul flights had more food waste than the
short haul flights. [20]

Table 7: Food waste generation of different flights

Flight types Waste per (Kilogram)

Total Economy class Business-class First-class

long-haul 211 148 45 18
Medium-haul 244 132 86 26
Short-haul 152 96 56 -

The composition of waste generated from the cabins of flights are shown in table. Data shown in
table reveals that most data that was wasted was untouched including disposable items and few
food items, milk, sugar, pepper and salt. Therefore, there may be opportunities to reduce the

Page 26
standard uplift quantities of these items, or to offer certain items on request only. The food waste
stream also contained large amounts of potentially recyclable products, including aluminum foils
and plastic food coverings.

Table 8: Composition of Food waste

Category Economy Business-class First-class
class
Consumed food 48.0 5.5 2.9
Untouched Salad 8.5 1.4 -
Untouched desert 24.5 1.8 1.4
Untouched breadcrumbs 6.3 4.3 1.1
Untouched Bread 28.3 3.3 2.5
Napkins etc 3.3 0.9 0.2
Aluminum cans, foils 9.6 0.3 1.1
Other Items (cakes, fruits) 11.3 3.6 4.6
All the data was collected from a series of research papers and and conclusion were made. [21]

6 Conclusion:
After going through a series of papers and net surfing it has been found That several countries
have taken their rules further and placed stringent restrictions on catering waste from foreign
flights grounded on animal welfare alarms. The laws or theories which have been founded to
evade the international transmission of ailments including foot and mouth declares that the
airlines' sector deals with catering waste either by burning it or burying it in a landfill deeply and
as a result procedure of reuse and recycling are diminished. Therefore, the airline sector
advocates executing appropriate procedures for waste supervision. Consequently, it results in
more recycling procedures and hence expanding ways to manage cabin waste.

Cabin Waste supervision is a major field of the airline sector’s environmental protection
program. The findings of Cathay Pacific flights' study of waste conformation have shown that
many foodstuffs present in the existing waste being generated through in-flight services can be
abridged and cast-off. Fresh paper (magazines and newsletters) was found to be the largest
constituent in the cabin waste composition. According to the facts and figures, it was varying

Page 27
from 32-71% of the entire on-board waste in terms of weight. The second chief constituent was
introduced to be a plastic material, particularly beverages, energy drinks, and packets for food
protection. It was found to be covering 13 percent of the entire bulk of the waste being generated
in flights of the country. On some planes, aluminum bins were found to be covering up to four %
of the entire bulk. Another essential aspect arising from the in-flight services was food left-overs
present in the wagons of the food. Paper stuff, pure polystyrene goods, and aluminum bins were
listed as the most practicable decomposable supplies according to the study grounded on the
composition of waste and its current reprocessing chances. Decomposable stuff or containers are
found to be covering up to 45-58 percent of the entire onboard galley and cabin waste generated
by flight services. [22] The waste decrement and reprocessing procedures have been found to be
potential enough to introduce a noteworthy involvement in defense of the the local and global
environment and save considerable functioning costs of the airline industry. Key drivers for
cabin waste management are

✓ Sustainability & reprocessing

✓ Waste storage volume
✓ Waste & liquid parting
Recycling is getting more important and the majority of airlines would accept additional crew
tasks. Waste management cost is currently a minor issue, but this might change due to regulation
and/or airport incentives. Airlines require a better solution for liquid disposal. The statistics have
introduced a bulk of details and facts, but it has been evident that there is no exact method that
can be employed in all stairs of the source chain. Consequently, it is mandatory to associate all
techniques for satisfying the requirements.
Within this study the following methods were described and are listed below in terms of what
the methods are based on: ➢ Measuring
• Measurement ( either by weight or volume)
• Scanning
• Analysis of waste constituents
• Diary

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 ➢ Collection of data
• Extracting information from numerical information
• Consultations and review
• Mass- and energy equilibrium
• Questionnaire
➢ Inhibition of food waste
• Accomplish weighing of the left-over food with sufficient level of detail
• Try Indulging workers in describing the original reasons of food wastage and
introduce concepts for the appropriate removal and reduction of waste.
• Survey indicators verifying trends in decrements (community, corporation or
domestic) [23]

6.1 Recommendations:
Only a compositional study will establish an awareness of the composition of streams (cabin
waste and catering waste). Few recommended steps to make sure that there will be a reduction in
the generation of waste in Hongkong are;
• IATA shall establish and circulate uniform guidelines, for the disposal of syringes generated
from the on-flights, for airlines to follow.
• Develop a collaboration strategy with the crew of the airport, firms managing the waste,
aircraft suppliers, companies responsible for handling the disposed off waste, contractors,
and catering companies.
• Survey to develop the interest of customers towards recycling. Reflect on the primary, most
regularly recycled products in the cabin. Working with customer relations to ensure the
improved experience of the customer; piloting and tracking customer response through the
survey conducted online and sharing the results. Link to a strategy for the efficiency of
corporate resources
• Drop in waste being generated and reprocessing accomplishments should be appreciated
internally. By associating with waste inhibition movements like “Love Food Hate Waste.”
It can aid travelers in recognition of the profits in ordering pre-flight food and why it is

Page 29
 important to spend time asking passengers that what amount of sugar they need or milk
packets.
• Identifying new procedures, try involving cabin staff and including passenger observation of
changes required to manage waste in inflight services.
• Introducing any kind of waste management techniques by cabin staff should be key and
appropriate staff communications and training must be provided to the new staff about
strategies for proper waste management.
• • The airline should decide the type and scale of left-over food and drink generated by the
waste compositional analysis (WCA) of its flights. For consequent flights, airlines will try to
recycle (salvage) those items. The airline must assess the nationwide supervisory and legal
structure for a food donation for any residual food that is suitable for human consumption,
and involve credible food redistribution organizations (food banks, etc ). To grasp the
ramifications of setting up a food donation program, the airline will find the WRAP System
for Redistribution. The airline is launching a workforce involvement initiative to spot the
service and to enable the unpaid workers to support resident communities. [24]
• Airline analyzes waste composition (WCA's) to determine edible food waste. In the
agreement with catering suppliers and food security specialists, Airline determines food
which could be safe to reinject into the catering supply. The catering agreement must
identify the part of food reinjection and should endorse airlines to use surveys or previous
meal choices in order to provide more adapted facilities or offerings for frequent flyers, thus
reducing the risk of waste. Airlines have been starting to employ algorithms for automation
of food and drink, resulting in weight optimization and minor waste. With the addition of the
slogan “buy-on-board” for short-haul flights, it has been shown that cabin waste has reduced
considerably. Because passengers are purchasing only the food and drink they want and
according to their needs. Items related to onboards needs such as comfort packs, pajamas,
shelters, cushions, headphones, flight shoes, earplugs constitute a large proportion of cabin
cleaning waste (9.7% by weight according to the statistics of IATA). By offering these
products, on-demand, and confirming that they are cast-off at the end of life, airlines can
diminish waste, collection, and cleaning costs.

Page 30
Airlines also stock up more food than required onboard flights to ensure customer satisfaction.
One way airlines can reduce waste is by versatile catering. Airlines forecast which meals and
drinks are most popular on any given route by monitoring consumption over time, and change
stocks accordingly. Passengers buy only what they consume which decreases the amount of
leftover food that needs to be thrown away. [25]

7 Limitations and Future Work

A tough challenge encountered by airlines that operate international flights is the maintenance of
waste in the environment they are working in. waste generated from international flights is
inspected regularly and handled especially and then subjected to steam sterilization and
inceration before disposing to landfills. This creates a hurdle in the recycling of the waste and
makes it difficult to reuse it. These days effectively managing a waste generated from the cabin
is a new challenge for the airlines. Airlines industries are lacking in terms of recycling. The
airline sector is badly criticized for not implementing the recycling techniques on the waste
generated from the cabin. It is also frightening for the company’s reputation. Airlines are
stepping forward, developing new methodologies, practicing new technologies to eradicate the
increasing issue of waste generated in the airport segment. IATA's limited analysis shows that in
2017, 5.7 million tons of waste was produced by the aviation industry which costs almost US 927
million dollars. This generation rate of waste shows that there will be a significant increase in
this rate in the next 10 years. Further researches of IATA have revealed that 20 percent of the
waste generated is the leftover drink and food. This growth is projected to represent the services
offered in fights and expected to hit 18 billion dollars by the end of 2021.it is necessary to handle
the waste according to the national standards to protect the health of the animals and create an
ecofriendly environment.

A hierarchy has been designed by ACI that constitutes the methods to manage the waste by
giving priority to the steps and following the sequence of steps described in the hierarchy:

▪ Avoid
▪ Reduce

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 ▪ Reuse
▪ Recycle
▪ Disposed of to landfills

So following the waste hierarchy requirements our first priority should be the minimum
production of waste in the first place in the cabin and in case, it is generated should be managed
effectively. Wate managing strategies are also ranked by hierarchy so considering the best option
can lead us to develop an eco-friendly environment and take benefits from the business. It should
be a priority to prevent the generation of waste firstly. If somehow waste is created try maximum
to make use of the material and reuse it. Then recycle the waste and recover substances. After
all, disposed off the leftover discarded materials to landfills. It is necessary to remember that if
the cabin waste is labeled as International Catering Waste (ICW), then the reuse and recycling
would not be feasible, and the waste needs to be handled by incineration, sterilization, high
burning or deep landfill burial. [26]

"Airport will encourage the culture of avoiding the generation of solid waste and, where possible,
extracting value from remaining waste with the ultimate goal of sending zero waste to landfills."

prevention

Re-use

recycling

recovery

Page 32
 Figure 11: Waste hierarchy

The waste generated from the cabin in international and domestic flights between countries that
have not yet implemented ICW legislation (or given exemptions) can be handled like a domestic,
commercial, and industrial waste (for example, intra-EU flights). A schematic of the non-ICW
treatment and handling procedures is given in the Figure below:

Page 33
 No separation Inceratio n

International
flights Wasted food and
contaminated
food

Separation
Recyclable
materials
Recycling

Residual fraction

No Separation landfill

Domestic Uncontaminated
Composting
Flights food waste

Separation
recyclables
Materials
Recycling
facility
Residual waste

Figure 12: Management of cabin waste

Food products can be reused and paper, glass, and plastic recycled from both foreign and
domestic flights as long as it is collected separately and does not come into contact with food

Page 34
which includes animal products. It is good practice on flights that are also not subject to ICW
control because food contamination can lead to the exclusion of recyclable material due to
quality concerns. This ensures the isolation of waste streams must take place on the aircraft
before a catering facility or materials processing facility meets the collected material. [27]

On long haul-flights, airlines provide containers that are proof ensuring the safe disposal of
sharps and syringes. There is also little contact of this facility to the customer as airlines agree
that most passengers will either later keep certain things for safe disposal or will be able to ask a
cabin crew member if there are disposal facilities. Training cabin crew and cleaning contractors
to be vigilant when resetting the cabin is standard practice to prevent injuries where sharps have
been carelessly disposed of.

7.1 Future Work expectations:

Actions
To guarantee that the services provided by the
airlines are safe and reliable. By focusing on the
countries that have implemented the best waste
management practices makes your system better
and implements regulations in managing the cabin
waste.
Cabin waste supervision problems should be
addressed between cabin regulators and airlines.
Identify and regularly collate and monitor the cost
in handling the waste generated from the cabin of
flights, waste that is disposed of, and contractors.
Developing priorities, objectives, and promises for The main focus of airlines is the achievements and
cabin waste are crucial to achieving the desired
outcome.
Outcome
Avoiding legal action by regulators. Boost cabin
waste re-use and recycling by defining
destinations where regulatory controls are not in
effect
The improved practices for the handling of waste
and disposal lead to a minimum amount of waste.
It promotes recycling and better methods
for the disposal of waste. It also helps to
implement these regulations in a country.
Airlines also have an understanding of what they
are compensating for the handling of waste and can
make appropriate decisions about possible waste
management activities and mitigate, reuse, and
recycle choices based on actual data. [28]
the resulting outcomes. The volume of the waste is
reduced and recycling is promoted.

Page 35
7.2 Limitations
There have been several obstacles to large-scale aircraft onboard waste recycling, including

• Time and space constraints on cabin crew to separately collect the waste material and thus
airlines tend to collect recyclable content combined in a single bag
• Specific understanding of the material that can be recycled extensively and that cannot, and
which items should not be collected
• A shortage of airport facilities to cope with combined items, though sometimes separate
recyclable facilities are available
• Not having specific understandings about what comprises Global Catering Waste and its
strict impacts on recycling.
• Guidance ranging from Animal Welfare Officers to airports on the handling of mixed aircraft
waste cleaning
• Cabin crew involvement and introduction of new procedures
• Aircraft maintenance workers' involvement and lack of environmental standards under
cleaning agreements. [29]

The cleaning staff and other crew must aware of the following points to promote recycling:

➢ Consider the barriers and hurdles in recycling

➢ Recognition of causes for encouraging the recycling
➢ Materials on which waste substances can be collected
➢ Describing the causes of contamination and elaborating the problems due to contamination
➢ Cabin operation analysis for making recycling easier
➢ Taking into account the impacts on the time during which services are available and
strategies for minimizing them.
➢ Take Advantage of the competition between crews
➢ Feedback should be taken from the crew regularly
➢ Giving information about the composition of waste and where the extracted content goes
➢ Economic and some other stimulus

Page 36
➢ Share the information with airlines of other countries as well. [30]

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