The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that it is collaborating with the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF) to launch a standardised Cabin Waste Composition Audit (CWCA). The programme partners expect to launch the ASF Cabin Waste Composition Auditing Platform in September 2024.
CWCA audits have already been trialled in two waves, covering 25 flights (short, medium, and long-haul) at Singapore’s Changi Airport in November 2023 and April 2024. ASF conducted the audits based on a methodology developed by IATA. The partners say the preliminary results indicate that the airline sector is generating over 3.6 million metric tonnes of cabin and catering waste annually, with 65% being food and beverage waste. Untouched meals account for 18% of all waste.
The audit data can be used to guide the airline industry and policy makers in their efforts to reduce the levels of cabin and catering waste produced, and to improve circularity by identifying opportunities for re-use and re-cycling.
Previous IATA research identified the lack of a standardised methodology with respect to conducting cabin waste audits and, as a result, harmonised data is not available to underpin decision making by policymakers, airlines and caterers regarding waste-related issues. A standardised audit can help industry to identify, quantify and solve issues, and enable the sector to demonstrate progress towards waste reduction and improved circularity.
“Managing and reducing waste is an important component of aviation’s overall sustainability. Obtaining standardised and comparable data regarding the composition and quantity of waste from flights will help the industry to reduce the waste it generates,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s chief economist and senior vice president for sustainability.
“Better data will also help policymakers to harmonise regulations, which in turn can help optimise the industry’s capability to sort, re-cycle and safely re-use waste that cannot be avoided. Working with ASF in developing this audit programme is a significant step forward in improving the circularity of the sector,” she added.
Matt Crane, founder of ASF (and a WTCE Ambassador) added, “The ASF’s mission is to help the aviation sector reduce the levels of cabin waste generated and achieve higher levels of waste recovery and circularity. Working with IATA to develop a cabin waste composition auditing standard for the sector is a significant step forward. Effectively managing cabin waste is a challenge that can be solved with the backing of data. It is the responsibility of the sector and its regulators to come together, understand the problem and align on the needed solutions.”
