How to Reduce Waste While Flying
Airlines generate a lot of garbage. Think of the plastic wrap covering your food, your headphones and blanket, and the straws, napkins, and sugar bags that clog the aisles. United Continental Holdings Inc. , which owns United Airlines, said on average 65 pounds of rubbish are removed per flight, and it is unlikely that much of it is recycled.
Striving to celebrate World Environment Day, which is today! The airline launched a green flight this morning from Chicago to Los Angeles, flying mixed biofuels, buying carbon offset purchases and reducing overall trash through techniques such as cup recycling. It is noteworthy, however, that this is just one flight and not a constant effort.
While Zero Waste travel is not the future we recognize anytime soon, every traveler can reduce garbage by changing their habits; it is often as simple as avoiding as much disposable waste as possible and having reusable alternatives.
Freeze any food and disconnect electronics
There are several things you should do at home to reduce waste before you board your flight. First, you should freeze any food in the refrigerator if you are going on a week-long trip, or offer it to anyone who might want it.
Also, unplug some electronics before leaving, including those that have external power supplies (or “power supplies”), anything that is in sleep or standby mode, small household appliances (such as a microwave oven or coffee maker), modems or a router are all that draw power. Be sure to turn off all air conditioners and water heaters if possible, as they can also draw on electricity when not in use.
Pack the kit without waste
The easiest way to reduce your own waste is to prepare and package your own waste-free kit with reusable items. (In this case, zero waste is just a goal, as there is hardly any waste at all.) “Think of the disposable plastic items you might encounter on your travels and bring some reusable swaps.” – Polly Barks, expert on zero waste , said by email. Think of reusable hot and cold mugs, not water bottles or disposable coffee cups, a real fork, a cloth napkin, snacks in reusable containers, etc.
Reusable water bottles or pitchers are key; You can fill them out after passing the check and skip the expensive plastic versions at airports. (You can ask the flight attendant to fill your bottle rather than use a cup.) Bring your own snacks as well; You can opt out of any pretzels or crackers that can then be used by passengers on their next flights.
Of course, you should also discard any other disposable waste such as straws or napkins; if the service staff still hands you a napkin, just take it with you for future use so that at least it doesn’t go to waste. (If they offer you a whole can of soda, take it with you to dispose of later.) You can also bring your own headphones and a sweater to reduce the amount of plastic you have to use when unrolling the airline’s packaging. headphones or blanket.
On the other hand, don’t skip food on international flights just to generate less garbage. According to local laws, it is likely that all uneaten food and rubbish will be burned. However, if you are on a domestic or low-cost flight, normally uneaten food and drinks will be used for onward flights.
Buying carbon credits
You can find the option to buy carbon offset when purchasing air tickets; are donations to environmental organizations that help offset the carbon footprint of your trip. “The organization calculates the cost of your carbon emissions, and you pay the cash equivalent,” Barks said.
As Afar writes, this is a rather tricky business. Critics argue that this is just tossing money to solve a problem, and the calculation of compensation based on the money is a little vague. In addition, many initiatives involve planting trees to offset your emissions, which can take years or years before significant amounts of carbon are sequestered. (In other words, they just aren’t as efficient.)
However, this is better than nothing, although it is worth considering who you are donating to when you decide to purchase these compensation. “It’s not a perfect solution (it’s just a long-term solution that does nothing to reduce the immediate impact of your travel), but it can help you feel better and support worthy programs,” Barks added.
United , for example, is working with Conservation International, which will calculate your carbon footprint for a specific flight, propose a monetary estimate, and donate to global efforts to conserve forests and wildlife (not just planting trees).
Barks recommends using Terrapass to calculate the amount of carbon. With this in mind, you can also donate to organizations not affiliated with your airline; for example, you can use the Green-E list of verified organizations to find a good reason.