Lufthansa Cargo will next month introduce a new type of film that consists of 10% recycled plastic and is also one micrometer (one µ) thinner than previous films to protect its cargo in transit.
The thinner film means that about two kilograms less film is needed on each cargo flight.
Each year, the airline needs about 500 tons of plastic film worldwide to protect its freight during transport. As part of its sustainability strategy, the company has been working for many years to reduce the need for plastic and to establish the most environmentally friendly handling possible at its approximately 300 stations around the globe, says CEO Dorothea von Boxberg.
It’s the first airline to introduce the new environmentally friendly film after many tests at selected stations.
“This brings us a step closer to our goal of using our plastic film in a circular way," says Von Boxberg.
The airline's strategy is based on the idea of using the recyclable material according to the closed-loop principle. For example, it is working with its local waste disposal company and film manufacturer Verpa Folie Weidhausen in Germany to collect the approximately 400 tons of used film per year in Frankfurt that is no longer needed after it’s been used for transport, to have it processed into granulate, and to have it incorporated into new film as a recycling component. Numerous tests have taken place in the past, both in handling at Lufthansa Cargo and at the disposal company and film manufacturer, in order to come closer in small steps to the desired cycle, also called "closed loop" in sustainability management.
