American Airlines Cargo reduced its plastic waste by more than 150,000 lbs, the equivalent of 8.6m water bottles, in 2023 through its previously announced partnership with BioNatur Plastics.
The BioNatur Plastics product replaces traditional plastic used for stretch wrap and pallet covers.
It is manufactured with a 1% load of an organic, food-safe proprietary additive that allows anaerobic bacteria to digest the plastic in a landfill.
Outside of a landfill, the plastic has an indefinite shelf life and performs exactly like traditional plastic products.
The carrier began transitioning to BioNatur Plastics products at major US hubs in early 2022.
Last year, it began using the product at regional domestic stations including, Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), as well as internationally to Carrasco International Airport (MVD) and Santiago International Airport (SCL) in Latin America.
“Sustainability is of paramount importance for us at American, and we are so pleased that our transition to BioNatur Plastics is one way we can implement real change in our cargo operations,” says Greg Schwendinger, president of American Airlines Cargo.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with BioNatur Plastics as we unite in working toward a greener future.”
Regular plastic can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill. BioNatur biodegradable plastics will biodegrade under landfill conditions in only 8 to 12 years.
