Qantas operates the world’s first ‘zero waste’ flight

Mini Vegemite servings were out and compostable crop starch cutlery was in on what Qantas says was the world’s first zero-waste commercial flight.

Passengers flying from Sydney to Adelaide on Wednesday sipped from water bottles destined for an Adelaide recycling plant and ate meals out of containers made from sugar cane. 

The Australian carrier was trialling an initiative it says will cut 100 million single-use plastics by the end of next year and eliminate 75 per cent of the airline’s waste by the end of 2021.

Qantas is aiming to eliminate 75 per cent of its waste by the end of 2021. All products used on the flight from Sydney to Adelaide were reusable and recyclable 

A flight attendant serves a passenger on the world’s first ‘zero waste’ flight. Customers on the Qantas flight used digital boarding passes and electronic bag tags where possible

About 1,000 single-use plastic items were substituted with sustainable alternatives or, in the case of individual Vegemite servings, removed altogether as the Qantas group embarked on its aim to reduce an annual mountain of waste equivalent to 80 fully laden Boeing 747 jumbo jets. 

Customers used digital boarding passes and electronic bag tags where possible, with staff on hand to make sure any paper passes and tags were disposed of sustainably. 

All used in-flight products on the two-hour flight from New South Wales to South Australia were separated and will be composted, reused or recycled.

Qantas domestic boss Andrew David said, with the cost of landfill rising and on-board waste the number one concern raised by passengers, there was a strong business case for the initiative.

All used in-flight products on the two-hour flight from New South Wales to South Australia were separated and will be composted, reused or recycled

On the zero waste flight, about 1,000 single-use plastic items were substituted with sustainable alternatives or, in the case of individual Vegemite servings, removed altogether

While there will be an initial expense, Mr David said the move will eventually save money by cutting the cost of waste disposal and would not push airfares higher.

He said: ‘We want to give customers the same level of service they currently enjoy, but without the amount of waste that comes with it.

‘This flight is about testing our products, refining the waste process and getting feedback from our customers.’ 

The Sydney-to-Adelaide service alone would normally generate 34kg of waste per flight, and 150 tonnes annually.

But the food containers trialled on Wednesday were made from sugar cane pulp left over from refineries, while the compostable coffee cups were made with plastic made from plant matter rather than oil.

A trolley with Qantas’ old product packaging (left) and their new biodegradable & recyclable product packaging (right)

Qantas group executive for sustainability Andrew Parker, Qantas flight attendant Madeline Rowcliff and Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David pose with the new reusable and recyclable products

Qantas and Jetstar plan to replace 45 million plastic cups, 30 million cutlery sets, 21 million coffee cups and four million headrest covers with sustainable alternatives.

Food waste from international flights cannot be composted due to legal requirements, but Qantas said it will work with suppliers and government to reduce the volume of this waste.

The Australian federal government says aviation contributes to about three per cent of the country’s carbon emissions.

Qantas customers already contribute to the aviation industry’s largest carbon offset scheme and the carrier this year will start incentivising travellers to get involved with the scheme by offering frequent flyer points for every dollar spent.

Qantas last year operated the first biofuel flight between Australia and the United States using biofuel processed from mustard seed.