Improvements on board
What we do
We’re making small changes to how we operate on board, such as reducing the weight of onboard items, making more conscious meal choices, and recycling as much as possible.
Reducing weight
A lighter plane uses less fuel, which means fewer CO₂ emissions. That's why we're trying to reduce the weight of our planes. For example, by making our seats, trolleys, and other things on board lighter.
The changes may be small, but they have some effect. An average 3-hour flight emits around 31,045 kg of CO₂. By carrying 1,000 kg less, we save about 275 kg of CO₂. We’re constantly improving our efforts: every kilo counts.
Our catering trolleys have been replaced with lighter versions. This saves us an average of 400 kg per intercontinental flight.
The glassware in World Business Class is 98 g lighter. That saves us 14 kg per flight, adding up to 400 tonnes less CO₂ emissions per year. Hard to picture that amount? It’s roughly the annual offset of 30 Dutch households.
We’re reducing the weight of our seats. The following changes help us take off with a few kilograms less:
- We’ve reduced the weight of Economy Class seats in our new Boeing 737 by over 2 kg per seat. That's a saving of about 400 kg per aircraft.
- The new World Business Class seats on the Boeing 777 and 787 are among the lightest seats in their segment.
- All new Premium Comfort Class seats are 1 kg lighter than previous models.
Our flights departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol carry less drinking water. According to our Climate Action Plan, this saves us up to 2.7 million kilograms of CO₂ per year.
Our onboard sandwiches are packaged in plastic. While this may not seem like the most sustainable option, plastic is lighter than many alternatives, which helps reduce fuel use. For the same reason, we use wooden cutlery on our European flights to help keep things light.
In World Business Class, we serve meals with reusable cutlery and drinks in reusable glassware.
The tray you receive your snack or meal on is made of lighter polypropylene (a type of plastic) than the trays we used before. This material is less harmful to the environment than other types of plastic. When a tray breaks, we use the material to produce new trays.
Did you notice our tray mats are gone? We’ve replaced them with anti-slip material integrated into the tray, saving around 22 million disposable mats per year.
Conscious meal choices
We serve around 40 million meals on board our flights per year. When selecting our meals, we consider their environmental impact.
Good catering isn’t just about tasty flavours. It’s also about choosing suppliers who care about sustainability and responsibility. When we select our suppliers, we try to ensure their environmental impact is low. We look at the whole production process: from the start until the disposal of the product.
For example, we serve fish with an MSC or ASC label on flights departing from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Or we choose fish from the green list of the WWF Sustainable Seafood Guide.
Recycling
By 2030, we aim to consistently produce 50% less residual waste than in 2011. In 2021, we achieved this percentage, but we realise this was because we had fewer flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means we have yet to reach our goal.
We’re working hard to reduce our waste production further. Most of this waste is made on board our flights: we’ve highlighted 3 of our recycling projects for onboard products.
We collect and recycle 14 types of waste on our European flights: cardboard, metal, glass, cans, plastic, and more. Each year, our recycling partner recycles about 300 tons of plastic for us. Plastic from PET bottles is our most recycled material (80,000 kg).
Our crew collects coffee grounds and cans separately for recycling. The coffee grounds release biogas during recycling, which can be used to power vehicles. The remaining material is then used for composting.
Recycling our coffee grounds and cans is an initiative from our Employee Sustainability Challenge, where our employees develop sustainable ideas.
Don’t feel like eating your snack? No problem, we’ll re-use it on a later European flight. Our snacks have a long shelf life and usually don’t need refrigeration.
Recycling rules and regulations
Improving how we manage waste and recycling in our industry can be challenging. For some destinations, strict rules and regulations limit how much we can recycle. We’re working hard to help change these restrictions. Once this happens, we hope to recycle more waste.
What you can do
As an airline, it’s our responsibility to contribute towards reducing the environmental impact of aviation. But there are small things you can do to contribute.
Flying for a holiday or a business trip? Whatever the occasion, consider bringing less and lighter baggage on your journey. However small the impact might be, every kilo counts.
One small way you can help us reduce waste is by bringing your own (empty) water bottle. Our crew will be happy to top it up for you on board.
Did you know you don’t need to print your boarding pass? After online check-in, you’ll automatically receive an electronic boarding pass by e-mail. Simply show it on your phone to our crew.
Think twice before you fly. If your destination is close to home, consider taking the train or bus instead. These options emit less CO₂ than a flight.
Eating fewer animal products can help reduce your environmental impact. That’s why we only serve vegetarian sandwiches on European flights. We always offer a vegetarian option on intercontinental flights, but availability may be limited.
Want to be sure you receive a vegan or vegetarian meal? Reserve it before departure.
Frequently asked questions
Our small steps on board are part of a broader effort to reduce our environmental impact. We're also investing in:
- Fleet renewal
SAF (alternative aviation fuel) Nature regeneration Innovation through the Aviation Challenge - Lowering emissions in our ground operations
The lighter a plane is, the less kerosene (aircraft fuel) it burns. Using less kerosene means the flight emits fewer CO₂ emissions. Even small changes, like lighter seats or trolleys, help slightly reduce our emissions.
Want to contribute? Consider travelling with less and lighter baggage.
Plastic might not seem the most sustainable choice, but it’s lighter than many other materials. A lighter plane uses less fuel and produces fewer CO₂ emissions. That’s why we still use plastic on board our flights. The impact may be small, but every kilo counts.
For some destinations, strict import rules and regulations prevent us from recycling as much as we’d like. Our team is working hard to help change these restrictions. This way, we can hopefully reach our goal: 50% less residual waste by 2030.
It’s our responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of our flights. But there are small things you can do to help. For example, you can travel with less baggage, bring your own water bottle, and use an electronic boarding pass. You can also contribute to SAF, a better alternative to regular jet fuel.