Aer Lingus introduces onboard recycling on short-haul flights into Ireland

Donal Moriarty, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Aer Lingus; Cian Brophy, Aer Lingus cabin crew; Rebecca Hill, Head of Sustainability, Aer Lingus; and Derek Dunne, Managing Director, Panda. Picture: Julien Behal

In a significant move towards achieving its sustainability targets, Aer Lingus has become the first airline to segregate and recycle onboard waste from short-haul flights arriving in Ireland.

The airline aims to recycle 20% (equivalent to 200 tonnes) of onboard waste from flights into Cork and Dublin airports by the end of 2023, with the goal of increasing this figure to 40% (720 tonnes) by 2025.

This initiative marks a major step forward in Aer Lingus' focused sustainability agenda. It follows successful waste recycling trials from flights into Cork at the end of 2022 and Dublin at the beginning of 2023.

Recognising the importance of more sustainable practices, the airline is committed to expanding the recycling program to other airports and eventually incorporating long-haul flights.

Aer Lingus CEO, Lynne Embleton, said the significance of recycling onboard waste from short-haul flights into Dublin and Cork as a milestone in the airline's sustainability efforts.

“We know from our customers that recycling is something the vast majority wish to see happen and this new on-board initiative complements other positive steps we are taking on our aircraft, including the use of more sustainable materials and reducing single-use plastics on-board”, she added.

“Our onboard recycling initiative is one of a wide-ranging set of actions we are taking across Aer Lingus to drive sustainability at the airline, including investing in new fuel-efficient aircraft and investing in sustainable aviation fuel.” 

Derek Dunne, the managing director of Panda, expressed his enthusiasm for Aer Lingus' new initiative and said Panda were proud to be part of it.

"At Panda, we focus on the circular economy through recycling and resource recovery; therefore, we are proud to be the first waste management company in Ireland to facilitate the introduction of recycling both on board the aircraft and at the custom-built facility at Dublin Airport."

European regulations governing international catering waste were imposed in 2002 following the Foot and Mouth outbreak, which inhibited the recycling of onboard waste.

The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that recycling can be applied to any waste entering Ireland that is free from contamination by animal by-products.

In conjunction with this achievement, Aer Lingus has received the prestigious IEnvA Stage 2 Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), making it the first Irish airline to earn such recognition.

This certification acknowledges Aer Lingus' progress in reducing carbon emissions across its flight operations and corporate facilities.

Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA, commended Aer Lingus for its strong commitment to sustainability across all aspects of its operations.

“Stakeholders, including governments, financiers and business partners will know that Aer Lingus is not just meeting global standards and best practices on sustainability, but is committed to continuous improvements to stay at the forefront of sustainability,” he added.

Aer Lingus says it has committed to powering 10% of flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030, and has also signed a lease agreement for two new Airbus A320neo aircraft, which are more fuel-efficient, while two more will be delivered later this year.