LATAM Airlines has made a significant move toward reducing its environmental impact by recycling 280 tons of onboard service waste in 2024, a crucial step in the airline’s mission to reduce waste sent to landfills. This recycling effort, equivalent to approximately 14 million plastic bottles, took place on domestic flights across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The initiative is part of LATAM’s “Recycle Your Journey” program, which actively involves flight crews in ensuring that waste generated during flights is sorted and sent to specialized recycling companies for proper treatment. In countries like Brazil, Chile, and Peru, flight crews handle waste separation, while in Colombia and Ecuador, airport teams take on this responsibility.

The airline focused on recycling PET plastic from water and soda bottles as well as Tetra Pak containers from milk and juice cartons. The addition of Tetra Pak recycling in Chile and Brazil led to a remarkable 64% increase in waste recycling compared to the previous year. Over the past two years, LATAM has recycled a total of 450 tons of waste, underscoring its commitment to environmental sustainability.

LATAM is also exploring new avenues for recycling, including pilot programs to separate and recycle materials such as cardboard cups, bamboo cutlery, and napkins. The airline’s efforts extend beyond the aircraft, with a focus on sustainability at every passenger touchpoint, including its lounges. At the Santiago de Chile airport lounge alone, LATAM managed to recycle 76% of the 455 tons of waste generated in a year. This effort included composting organic waste such as uneaten food, orange peels, and other kitchen scraps.

LATAM’s recycling initiatives reflect its ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and advancing its sustainability goals across its operations.

“In 2019, we launched the program in Chile with the goal of expanding it to other countries where we operate. Today, we are proud to share this progress across the five markets where we operate domestic flights. This achievement would not have been possible without the support and commitment of all the teams within the group and the loyalty of our passengers, who choose to fly with us,” said Johanna Cabrera, LATAM Airlines Group Sustainability Manager.

The post LATAM Airlines Reaches New Recycling Milestone, Successfully Recycling 280 Tons of Waste Across Domestic Flights in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru in 2024 appeared first on Travel And Tour World.