While taking out my recycling today I thought about the amout of things I was recycling and therefore keeping out of landfills to be re-used again. I realized that between my girlfriend and I we recycle about four grocery bags a month, and throw one trash can of garbage out. Then I began to wonder about how much this really equals in the big picture? Just a drop in the ocean, but a drop none the less. It made me wonder how my airline does, and what type of citizen they are in their community. I don't think my airline really recycles anything at all. I think about all of the paper from our releases, cans from passengers drinks and water bottles that we go through in a single flight and realized that all of that is ending up in a landfill somewhere.
Many people probably just write this off as tree-hugging BS, but in fact one day if we continue at our current rate the landfills will be overfilling into your backyards. It seems as easy and simply separating recycling from trash and having a little more responsibility for the community and enviroment that we must all live in.
So, I must ask, do any of your airlines recycle?

 

DL does or did on flights TO ATL

 

Well, isn't that special?


On a serious note, I know when I worked at Comair the flight attendants made a half-hearted attempt at it. Some stations would just throw the cans in the trash anyway.

 

Mesa in Denver we recycle cans/etc. Then we used the proceeds to fund a BBQ day for the crews. Was delicious.

 

I watched a news story on TV a few years ago about some airports that recycle and make a few hundred thousand a year off of it.

 

While making money off the programs gets people involved, I think it is more important that we all simply choose to do the right and responsible thing. We shouldn't have to pay people to be good members of society, but if thats what it takes at first, it may be worth it.

 

As said previously, some Comair FAs recycle the cans which DGS throws who-knows-where.

Comair also recycles tired old Delta/NW executives by implementing the unique "Run Comair for a year" program.

Comair is currently leading the way in whole-aircraft recycling by sending a large percentage our aircraft to other Delta regionals.

In conjunction with Delta's new eco-friendly "ComairGreen Initiative", many of the aircraft Comair still has on property are involved in the "It burns less fuel when it's sitting still" Jet-A conservation program.

But best of all, Comair has started a fantastic new recycling program designed to save Gigawatts of electricity (sim time) and thousands of pounds of paper (training manuals)...

The new program allows Comair to fill First Officer positions with already-trained Comair Captains rather than having to hire and train low-time pilots off the street.

It's the green thing to do.

 

I think it depends on the airport/city. If the airport has recycling, our F/A's had to seperate. Believe it or not, there are still places in the U.S. that do not have a recycling program.

 

I don't think any airlines own their own catering anymore - so the question is:

Do flight kitchen contractors (the guys who haul the trash off the airplanes) have a recycling program? As far as airlines flight operations goes, I see the blue paper recycle bins everywhere.

 

Eagle does not...at least not that I've ever seen. It drives me absolutely insane. Sometimes I hold on to newspaper and cans and drop them in recycling bins at the various airports.

I, like you, ebl14, recycle a ton of stuff and make very little in the way of trash. So its hard for me to see aluminum get thrown away.

I saw a report a few years back that said the airlines throw away enough aluminum cans to make several 747's a year. I can't remember the exact number they cited - more than 5 less than 20.

The airlines should carry 2 liter bottles or get soda fountains. Or better yet, just offer water and coffee. I can personally go 2 hours without Pepsi or Ginger Ale and not die. I imagine the majority of the population could do the same.