It&rsquos no news that flying isn&rsquot good for the planet. The amount of carbon footprint created by a trip is more than by any other mode of transport. So it&rsquos more when you hear of an airline trying to make a positive change towards the environment.
Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter airline that specialises in wet leases (providing aircrafts to other airlines) has become the first airline to say &lsquono&rsquo to single-use plastic. On December 26, Hi Fly took its first flight from Lisbon, Portugal to Natal, Brazil and became, in their words, the &lsquofirst-ever jet-age passenger flight with not a single-use plastic item on board.&rsquo
How did it achieve this By replacing all the single-use plastics (bedsheet coverings, disposable cutlery, wrappers, etc.) with plant-based disposables made from renewable or lower carbon materials. These include paper, card, glass, stainless steel, and even bamboo.
As per the airline, the total weight of plastic saved across the 16 trial flights was 1500 kg. In addition, after the flight, excess food was given to waste manager for energy production.
The main company, Mirpuri Foundation also made an announcement that the airline &lsquoHi Fly will completely eliminate the use of avoidable and single-use plastics on its aircrafts and at its offices before the end of 2019.&rsquo We&rsquore definitely looking forward to that.