The aviation industry generates over 3.6 million metric tonnes of cabin and catering waste annually, 18% of which comprises untouched meals.

This information emerged from the preliminary results of IATA’s Cabin Waste Composition Audit (CWCA), which trialled on 25 flights (short-, medium-, and long-haul) at Singapore’s Changi Airport in November 2023 and April 2024.

It found that food and beverage waste accounted for 65% of cabin and food waste, and untouched meals accounted for 18% of all waste.

In response, IATA is collaborating with the Aviation Sustainability Forum to launch a standardised CWCA in September.

IATA believes that audit data will guide the airline industry and policymakers in their efforts to reduce the levels of waste produced and improve circularity by identifying opportunities for re-use and recycling.

“Managing and reducing waste is an important component of aviation’s overall sustainability. Obtaining standardised and comparable data regarding the composition and quantity of waste from flights will help the industry to reduce the waste it generates,” said Dr Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA Senior VP for Sustainability and Chief Economist.

KLM is already aiming to reduce food waste on board its flights, with AI informing decisions on the number of meals that need to be loaded for any particular flight.