All Nippon Airways Co. has said it will replace plastic trays for economy class meals on international flights with items made from an eco-friendly material from August in a bid to improve sustainability.
ANA said it will be the first airline in Japan to introduce meal trays made from biodegradable materials, and expects the replacement to cut its plastic waste by 317 tons a year, equivalent to 30 percent of the total plastic it disposed of in the business year to March 2020.
"Restrictions on plastic use have been strengthening mainly in Europe, and we want to accelerate our preparations by taking proactive measures," an ANA official said.
The trays will be made from bagasse, a fiber remaining after pressing sugarcane to extract the juice.
It has yet to decide whether to employ the bagasse trays on its domestic flights, for which it currently uses paper boxes, according to the company.
ANA, which introduced wooden cutlery and bioplastic-made straws in 2020, said it plans to continue reducing plastic waste to cut greenhouse gas emissions generated during producing trays and burning garbage.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged that Japan will achieve carbon neutrality, or net zero emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases, by 2050. The government first aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 46 percent by 2030 compared with fiscal 2013 levels.
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