Onboard Hospitality 89 March/April 2022

MARCH/APRIL 2022 ISSUE 89

Go green for good Why sustainability now makes business sense...

Cover 89 v8.indd 1

PASSENGER PRESSURE SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION ECO SOURCING

3/29/22 03:25 PM

Untitled-2 Untitled-1 1

29/03/2022 13:54 3/29/22 02:56 PM

sustainability

MARCH / APRIL / 03

Inside this issue...

Features 12

Passenger pressure: Airline sustainability

20 Green signals: Sustainable rail 30 Bags of ideas: Eco amenities

42

38 Sustainable sourcing: Ethical ingredients

41

Quick reads 18 Taking off: Serviceware 23 Focus on: IONA design

12

24 In debate: B-corp 27 How to: Green cleaning

18

28 Think Twice: Textiles 36 In conversation: FORMIA 41 How to: Water sourcing 42 Focus on: Packaging board 43 In conversation: Philippe de Naeyer 45 Focus on: SDGs 46 Next-Gen Forum: Sustainable priorities

38

49 In conversation: Sebastian Schaefer 50 Opinion: Sinje Wojahn

Regulars 07 Industry update 51

Events

52 Global perspective

46

36

onboardhospitality.com

contents_Issue89-v4.indd 3

3/29/22 05:07 PM

Concert-quality Sound at 30,000 ft.

Premium noise-cancelling headphones that allow you to create the ultimate in-flight experience and perform in-house repairs for seamless, repeated extension of operational life.

100% CUSTOMIZABLE | INCREASED REPAIRABILITY | DECREASED ELECTRONIC WASTE

www.Linstol.com United States | +1.239.530.7865 | LinstolUS@Linstol.com United Kingdom | +44.1252.620630 | LinstolUK@Linstol.com Hong Kong | +852.2319.4176 | LinstolHK@Linstol.com

Untitled-2 Untitled-1 1

02/03/2022 09:48 3/28/22 12:36 PM

welcome / 5

Small steps...

EditorIAL EDITOR Julie Baxter julie.baxter@onboardhospitality.com Assitant editor April Waterston april.waterston@onboardhospitality.com

S

ometimes the world’s problems just seem too big. Too hard. Heartbreaking wars, global pandemics, destructive climate change. They put small dramas in our own lives in a new perspective but they can also make us feel helpless and overwhelmed.

Contributing Editors Jo Austin (For Taste of Travel enquiries: jo.austin@onboardhospitality.com), Bev Fearis & Jessica Pook Contributors Roger Williams editorial Director Steve Hartridge

Publisher

The trouble is, none of us has all the answers. In fact most of us only have more questions in the face of big global challenges, but putting this sustainability issue together has at least shone a light on some positive action and hope.

Big problems can also energise and inspire big solutions.

They drive the best of human ingenuity, galvanise action, and drive collaborations towards progress. We all know every big project or solution takes a multitude of small steps.

Small actions made by many people that ultimately take us all forward in the right direction. This issue charts some of those steps and even some large strides in sustainability for onboard hospitality.

Read on and be inspired. Join the journey and even if you are just taking your first step, you will find an army of people in our industry trying to do the right thing with you. Check out and vote in our awards for more inspiration and we'll reward the best during WTCE in Hamburg, this June.

VOTE Together maybe we can change the world. Or at NOW the very least, we can change our small part in it – one step at a time.

Sue Williams sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com associate publisher Craig McQuinn craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Designers Caitlan Francis & Emma Norton Production & STUDIO Manager Clare Hunter

Julie Baxter Editor Onboard Hospitality

Production administrator Steve Hunter

BMI PUBLISHING MANAGING DIRECTOR Matt Bonner CEO Martin Steady Subscriptions Kay Fisher subscriptions@bmipublishing.co.uk (Print) ISSN 2046-2042. ©BMI PuBLISHING LTD 2022. onboard hospitality is published by BMI PUBLISHING Ltd: 501 The Residence, no. 1 alexandra terrace, guildford, gu1 3da, UK. T: 020 8649 7233 E: enquiries@bmipublishing.co.uk bmipublishing.co.uk While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI PUBLISHING LTD cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

COVER image: Istockphoto.com/petmal Regularly read in over 70 countries worldwide and mailed to our 23,000+ international database. Read this magazine in digital form, share it virtually or subscribe.

If you are looking for a supplier or caterer, check out onboardhospitality.com/finder

Let's walk together...

Get yourself connected online  @OBHMagazine  Onboard Hospitality at linkedin.com onboardhospitality.com

All of a Twitter

RECOGNISING excellence, RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION in AIr, Rail, cruise AND FERRIES

onboardhospitality.com/awards

taste of travel

We aim to help you We look forward to seeing you in person connect in the in June at WTCE, virtual world too.

Follow us on Twitter Hamburg, where we will moderate the (and Linkedin) and Taste of Travel Use #onboard Theatre with chef #OBHawards demos and inspiring to follow the speaker sessions. conversation.

Contact: Jo Austin @OBHMagazine

stay current

For the latest news, views and video interviews don't miss Onboard Hospitality Weekly, our e-newsletter, into your inbox every Wednesday.

Contact: April Waterston

onboardhospitality.com

singapore calls

We're planning ahead. In November 2022 Onboard Hospitality will host the Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia, as part of FTEAPEX Asia Expo.Get involved. Contact: Craig McQuinn

vote now!

Our Onboard Hospitality Awards winners will be announced during WTCE in June. Vote online now and have your say on who takes the trophies.

Contact: Sue Williams

Plastic free

Zero plastic.

Sustainably sourced.

Made of the award-winning and certified Delipac paperboard.

Untitled-1 1

28/03/2022 09:19 3/28/22 12:31 PM

INDUSTRY UPDATE / 7 Top stories from across the industry

industry

update

TOP STORIES FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

Accreditation

APEX/IFSA have now added sustainability to its star rating checklist

8

Collaboration

Momentum builds for action through the Aviation Sustainability Forum

9

Unity

Environment chief pushes for joint efforts on regulatory change for waste

9

10

In the air

Icelandair ups its sustainability efforts through pre-order and onboard change onboardhospitality.com

Industry Update v9.indd 7

3/29/22 05:53 PM

8 / INDUSTRY UPDATE Top stories from across the industry

Airline caterers on course for recovery

APEX star ratings to include sustainability Airline leaders have thrown their weight behind transparent eco policies and on-going change in response to the APEX/IFSA Board of Governors sustainability priority for 2022.

The board unanimously agreed sustainability as one of the top two priorities for this year and has set up and Environment Board, comprised its top 20 airlines, to drive the way the industry regulates itself and shares sustainability information which was previously viewed as propriety. For example, once a product has proved its sustainability credentials with one client, that recognition could be shared.

The new sustainability requirements for the APEX Official Airline Ratings mean Four-Star and Five-Star airlines will only earn and maintain their status if they make their sustainability initiatives public and easily available to all. In addition, each airline will have to show incremental improvements to their sustainability efforts each year to ensure an ongoing commitment to sustainable improvement.

APEX/IFSA CEO Joe Leader said: "It is important our airlines are advancing and show green is not just a slogan but a journey we are on." apex.aero; ifsa.apex.aero

Founding members of the Airline Caterers Association joined a global online webinar to report recovery underway and a positive outlook for the next 2-5 years.

ACA chairman Robin Padgett, of dnata Catering & Retail, Erdmann Rauer, CEO LSG Group, and Christoph Schmitz, CEO gategroup, agreed ramping up catering station staffing was currently the biggest challenge as 50% of precovid volumes grows to 80% for summer.

Regarding sustainability, Rauer said the greatest room for improvement was in the counting and cutting of waste. He said eliminating 30% of waste should be achievable through investment in consumption analytics, changed crew behaviour and ambitious commitments from airlines and caterers alike.

Padgett added: "Our intention is to be as sustainable as possible ourselves and to push our clients to recyclable and reusable options and away from plastics." Flow wrap usage through Covid was temporary only. aca.catering

Eva Air works with suppliers to boost its eco cabin credentials EVA Air is prioritising lighter and more environmentally-friendly products in collaboration with its key cabin suppliers.

Changes include new withdraw bags made from biodegradable material, swizzle sticks and napkins of bamboo plus paper cups instead of plastic.

The latest tableware, for premium economy class, replaces some plastic material with glass or lightweight china, and ecoTHREAD fabric was chosen for blankets. The EVA e-Library service, for magazines and printed materials, has cut paper weight significantly. eva.com

LEED for U.S. caterer Cuisine Solutions' sous vide processing facility in San Antonio, Texas has received LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Features include solar installations, storm water management and water recycling systems. cuisinesolutions.com

onboardhospitality.com

Industry Update v9.indd 8

3/29/22 05:53 PM

INDUSTRY UPDATE / 9 Top stories from across the industry

Momentum for change builds through ASF membership Membership and collaborative momentum on inflight sustainability is building following a global online gathering of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF) Summit, supported by IATA and IFSA. Over 40 leading airlines, caterers, suppliers and industry bodies joined the ASF’s webinar call last month and since then over 20% of a $650,000 funding target has been raised for the ASF's next round of work. This round will see recommendations being made for the standardisation of disposable F&B packaging materials. Membership costs $10,000 and brings with it access to key sustainability leaders, primary access to ASF research, and a wide range of tools and models to support material selection.

The ASF is an independent not-for-profit working to build a portfolio of assets including a materials database of sustainable materials for inflight passenger products. Criteria for these will be based on end-to-end impact, and models that compare materials show CO2 savings and ESG benefits of specific product choices. The first models will focus on disposable packaging for food and beverage, and rotable serviceware.

The goals include a recommendation on adopting standardised materials to increase circularity; and the gathering of evidence to support risk-based changes and harmonisation of International Cabin Waste regulation; as well as identifying improvements in waste segregation and management.

Mike Pooley, of the ASF, said: "The ASF is committed to collaboration to identify the options for standardising the materials we use to manufacture inflight products and services. Only by working together with the support of our sector's governing bodies and membership groups can solutions be developed that, through regulation change, reduce incineration or landfill and move us all towards recovery and circularity.” aviationsustainabilityforum.com

IATA calls for a united push towards regulatory change IATA has joined the ASF's Advisory Group reviewing the regulatory framework and looking to bring down barriers blocking the roll out of more sustainable onboard product.

Laying out the legislative challenges airlines face on sustainablity Jon Godson, assistant director environmental and sustainability at IATA, said: "We would love to see all organisations working in this area for some time come together and speak with one voice when we go to see regulators."

Godson highlights the challenges around cabin and catering waste, pointing up the disparity in regulations country by country (and even state by state) relating to single use-plastics, and the out-dated insistence on incineration - driven by animal disease risks which no longer exist in many parts of the world. He added: "We believe by coming together we can drive regulatory change as an enabler to making airline cabins more sustainable in the future." iata.com onboardhospitality.com

Industry Update v9.indd 9

3/29/22 05:53 PM

10 / INDUSTRY UPDATE Top stories from across the industry

Release Rebels launches to support 'transformation' leaders Industry veteran, Jons Hensel, and former gategroup director of innovation & media, Jamie Nuis, have joined forces in the launch of a new transformation agency focused on partnering with CEOs who want to lead change in their business and industry.

With a team which includes all the former gategroup Innovation Centre and Media House staff, the new company – Release Rebels – will continue as gategroup’s dedicated partner while also supporting other companies and other industries. As 'creative changemakers' they are inspired by the past and present to help create the future, and believe the future is defined by those who see things differently. Their goal is to look at what's now, to help shape what's next.

CEO Nuis says: "Our approach is based on imagination, inspiration and realisation. We live in very exciting times. Change is everywhere. Our team has learned a lot about change and has the skills to realise change through vision, strategy, communication and content. We combine human skills with technology and data that is in service of the actual output. We are on a mission to share this with those who have the vision to transform but need passionate, proactive support to create, and especially, deliver, the roadmap for change."

Chairman Hensel adds: “It is time for leaders to be brave and make bold choices.

We have to lead the way forward for the next generation. To do so we must take a new and holistic approach to change, together.” release-rebels.com

Icelandair steps up pre-order meals and eco processes Icelandair has added economy pre-purchase meals for flights between Iceland and Europe, and Iceland and North America.

The move is designed to reduce food waste as well as aircraft load. Passengers pre-purchase when making a booking, or at least 24 hours before the flight. Other sustainability measures include new eco packaging for onboard product and a new trash-sorting initiative. icelandair.com

Rewards from Etihad Etihad Airways has launched a dedicated sustainability-focused corporate rewards programme – Corporate Conscious Choices.

Its incentives proactively support pro-ESG activities and positive employee behaviours. etihad.com

Wellness on the menu Delta is raising the standard for vegetarian and plant-based meals onboard. New dishes feature Black Sheep Foods, Impossible Foods and locally-grown vegetables, and are part of a broader mission to promote a 'wellness-focused travel journey.' delta.com

Pre-order eco push TGV has launched a new menu with Newrest focused on eating well and cutting waste. 92% of products on the INOUI menu are produced in France and 41% of are labelled BIO, H.V.C or sustainable agriculture. Chefs Alexia Duchêne and Nina Métayer led the design. newrest.eu

onboardhospitality.com

Industry Update v9.indd 10

3/29/22 05:54 PM

Untitled-1 1 TRAV010994_Buzz_Onboard_Hospitality_Mag_Ad_Feb_2022_FA_OL.indd 1

22/02/2022 09:41 3/28/22 PM 22/2/22 12:30 9:33 am

12 / airline Sustainable sustainability sourcing

Passenger pressure Aviation’s path to net zero carbon emissions will take time but the pressure is on for tactical change to sustainable onboard products now if airline brands are to maintain their credibility with the consumer, says Julie Baxter

istockphoto.com/ horstgerlach

R

esearch airline sustainability and at every turn you find initiatives and innovation around bio-fuels and carbon off-setting. You’ll find talk of electric and hydrogen aircraft alternatives and inspiring ways to implement change.

There are even some hefty commitments and targets taking shape. The OneWorld Alliance of airlines has its Fly Green pledge; IATA has its #FlyNetZero – both working to net zero by 2050.

But ask airlines specifically for comments on inflight sustainability – initiatives on cutting waste, switching to eco friendly onboard products, recycling, reusing, cutting weight and the response is, to put it mildly, patchy.

Maybe this makes some sense. IATA estimates that 65% of the progress to net zero will come through Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF); 13% through new technologies, electric and hydrogen; 19% through offsets and carbon capture, and just 3% through infrastructure and operational efficiencies. Presumably inflight actions – catering and amenities – come under the operational efficiencies percentage, but read behind those stats and most of the discussion on that 3% is about onboardhospitality.com

better performance through revised air traffic navigation, retrofitting to lighten aircraft weight, and airport efficiencies. So how much difference does an inflight change make, and does it really matter? Could it help cut carbon 1%? 0.5%? Who actually knows? Has inflight service change even been included in these calculations?

The answers to these are not yet clear. IATA has done some research into cabin waste and discovered (pre-pandemic) that on average every passenger created 1.43kilos of waste. 80% of waste came from the galley, 20% from the washrooms.

It analysed galley waste and found 20% of that was untouched food and drink, 4% was unopened bottled water – all of it was headed to landfill or the incinerator thanks to the international catering waste regulations, designed to prevent the spread of animal disease which no longer really exists in many countries.

Clearly there is a problem and it is only going to get worse. Current projections estimate that demand for air passenger journeys by 2050 could exceed 10 billion. On current trajectories, expected 2021-2050 carbon emissions would be approximately 21.2 gigatons of CO2, cabin waste

sustainable airline sustainability sourcing / 13

would be at over 15 billion kilos! If the onboard hospitality sector helped with even 0.5% of that, it would be substantial, but the fact that it doesn’t have its own clearly identified and defined goals does perhaps explain why airline sustainability directors are so much more overtly committed to sourcing SAF and updating their fleets than switching to recycled blankets, engaging with bamboo cutlery or repackaging in eco cardboard.

Frustrating times For suppliers we are at a frustrating turning point. As they all work to support post-covid recovery, they have positive and impressive product portfolios to share. Suppliers across all product categories have had time to rethink and rework what they offer and now have ranges full of environmentally-friendly options. Their sales pitches are full of reuse, recycle and renew opportunities and many of their supply chain backstories have been scrutinized minutely to ensure can help airline buyers jump onto sustainable solutions.

But are airlines buying? And should they be?

IATA’s Jon Godson, assistant director environmental and sustainability, highlights the dilemma. “Airlines face some very a-symmetric regulations. They are different all around the world as far as single-use plastics are concerned and wherever international catering waste is involved the regulations often undermine the credibility of change to biobased solutions because they still end up in the incinerator.”

So what is going to make the difference? How are we going to work it out and how is our industry really going to get motivated for change?

Organisations like the ASF, IFSA, ACA and IATA are working to form some kind of roadmap for inflight service. They are looking to lobby for regulatory

change and are trying to quantify the problems and standardise the range of best-practice solutions. These initiatives do seem to be gathering momentum, there is a big task ahead and it will be a long slow process through research towards recommendation and global change in regulation.

Perhaps the real question is, can airlines really afford to wait?

Other industries clearly think the time to act is now. Many are well along the sustainability path, facing and overcoming just as serious and complex challenges as aviation and moving on fast. And the reason why? The consumer.

Above: Each set of Delta Air Lines' bedding is made from 100 recycled plastic bottles

International catering waste regulations often undermine the credibility of change

Sustainability in action: Delta Air Lines

In 2020, Delta committed $1bn over 10 years to become the first carbon neutral airline, on a global basis. Its new artisanmade amenity kits, recycled bedding, reusable and biodegradable service ware and canned wines removed 4.9m pounds of single-use plastic from service every year – the equivalent weight of 15 A350 aircraft. The programme removed plastic wrappers and zips from the new amenity kits which are made by B-Corp certified, Mexican apparel brand Someone Somewhere, and contents were changed to include bamboo toothbrushes. New bedding uses more than 100 recycled Above from left: muesli from plastic bottles in each set. More locally-sourced menu items have been added and the airline now publishesWholesome an annual Mueslibilder; fusion croESG Report covering health and safety, climate change, and human capital management, including diversity, equity and nuts; and healthy fast food inclusion. An internal group, Green Up, supports input and feedback from employees on driving sustainability treatsgoals.

onboardhospitality.com

Egg-cellent taste

... natu natural ingredients.

Gut Springenheide GmbH • Weiner 152 • 48607 Ochtrup • Germany Tel. +49 (0) 25 53/10 22 • Fax fax 10 25 • E-Mail: info@gutspringenheide.de

sustainable airline sustainability sourcing / 15

Consumer opinion A recent survey from McKinsey & Co. showed 66% of all respondents and 75% of millennial respondents now consider sustainability before they buy. They want to align with brands that share their sustainability values.

The Economist Intelligence Unit reports that in the past five years there has been a 71% rise in online searches for sustainable goods globally. Consumers are now actively engaging with sustainable businesses as never before. Sustainability is now a global mega trend. In China 41% of consumers say they want eco-friendly products. In the UK, the market for ethically and sustainably sourced goods in 2019 was worth £41 billion, its value having quadrupled within 20 years. And in India sales of organic products have grown by 13% since 2018.

Annual research by Deloitte shows 32% of consumers are highly engaged in adopting a more sustainable lifestyle and 28% have stopped buying certain products due to an ethical or eco concern.

Among Gen Z consumers the stats are stronger with 50% reducing how much they buy altogether and 45% no longer buying certain brands because of ethical or sustainability concerns. Social media channels are noisily abuzz with younger generations demanding sustainability change.

These are the consumers of the future. They increasingly expect sustainability and ethical considerations to be the standard and they want to see it transparently through the value chain.

The same survey also showed that consumers favour brands that help them to do the right thing – they want businesses to take the lead with 64% of consumers looking for reduced packaging, 50% for recycling information and 46% for clarity on the back-story of the sourcing.

With customers switching to products and services that meet their sustainability values, there are without doubt growing market opportunities

for companies that respond, especially those offering eco-friendly products or speaking up to support the environment.

The Deloitte survey identified five sustainable brand practices that consumers value most. These include: waste reduction, reducing carbon footprint, providing sustainable packaging, commitment to ethical work practices, and respect for human rights. There was a 50/50 split between those willing to pay more or not for environmental and ethical brands.

Expecting change Currently it is in the buying of essentials like groceries, household items, personal care and clothing that consumers most often consider sustainability but where these sectors have had to face change, so too will others, including aviation.

An IATA survey of 4700 passenger showed travellers expect change. They rated the removal of single-use plastics as important as cutting CO2. Godson said: "The products onboard are a highly visible indicator of airline sustainability performance and passengers, media and NGOs are increasingly focused on this. The risk of

Sustainability in action: Finnair

Above: Finnair has recently partnered with John Horsfall and Marimekko to produce bedding created from 100% recycled polyester

Decreasing the weight of aircraft is a key driver across Finnair decision-making, alongside the scrutiny of ethical standards and sustainable practice all along the supply chain. It is especially focused on food waste and offering more sustainable catering. This means more pre-orders and a streamlined inflight meal and beverage selection. Every item used was designed to be as light and sustainable as possible, resulting in weight reductions of 50-300kg per flight (equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions of 500 people). New tableware is almost 20% lighter and catering service will use 50% less singleuse plastic (SUP) by the end of 2022, removing 230 tonnes of plastic a each year. Food waste will be cut by 30%. All inflight waste out of the Helsinki hub is re-used as energy, heat, biogas, manure or material - nothing to landfill. Circular economy design principles are being prioritised, cutlery SUPs are going, and extra amenity kits and meals are donated to charity.

onboardhospitality.com

16 / airline Sustainable sustainability sourcing

reputational harm from delay is growing.”

No one under-estimates the task aviation is facing. All the work on bio-fuels and operational efficiencies shows leaders are making strategic decisions in the right direction, but these have long time lines and the industry needs passenger support – and cash – now. Tactical decisions that can be made now to show clear, coherent, consumer-facing change seem pressing. That means changes to inflight products and service, and fast.

In other industries much kudos has gone to those taking a lead. The likes of Nike and Adidas focused on reducing waste, creating greener supply chains, and eliminating plastic bags. Unilever made commitments on organic palm oil; Nestlé on lifecycle, water efficiency and waste. Pepsi and Coca-Cola focused on water stewardship and water replenishment; while on the high street, Walmart, Congratulations must go to those airlines who IKEA and H&M moved toward more sustainable have committed to strategic decisions and have retailing, leading collaborations to reduce waste, also begun to take the overt tactical changes too. increase resource productivity and improving local Some are extremely useful initiatives not least labour conditions. Even banks are embedding because they show just what sustainability and community can be done. As passengers actions in their business acknowledge them and they culture. begin to drive choice, these Inflight product drives airline The risk of reputational initiatives will inspire others to brands as a key differentiator harm from delay on make the change too. and to ignore sustainability sustainability is growing Increasingly we all is to put that branding for airlines understand it is not about seriously at risk. Passengers one product or two, but are watching. They are about full engagement with increasingly sensitised to the the impact of every product and service boarded. sustainability issue and increasingly expect change.

Buyers need to fully understand their whole While they fly they have time to look around. They supply chain, to look left and right of the product have time to notice exactly what you give them, they buy, because, without doubt, their passengers how you retrieve and recycle it. Ultimately their are looking, and those found wanting are set for a curiosity will discover the scale of airline waste, and very rough ride. • the thorny topic of incineration too.

Sustainability in action: Singapore Airlines

Above: Eco-focused amenity kits like Delta's are a good way to highlight progress in inflight sustainability to passengers

Singapore Airlines' focus on alternative materials has removed 82,000 single-use plastic (SUP) straws a year (now paper), 3.8m plastic swizzle sticks a year (now wooden) and plastic polybag packaging. A new economy eco-box and cup is made of Forest Stewardship Council certified paper with bamboo cutlery pack, cutting SUPs on the meal tray by 80% (by weight). A Farm to Plane concept focuses on sustainable ingredient sourcing. Pre-ordering, automated data collection, data analytics, digital feedback, AI and machine learning are all being used to better predict consumption patterns and reduce cabin food waste and paper usage. Lumitics scans all unopened meals to improve the accuracy of uplifted meals.

Leftovers on the tray, including the service ware, are returned to an eco-digester at caterers, SATS, and converted into pellets that can be used as refuse-derived fuel. The Upcycling Project repurposes discarded aircraft parts and materials.

onboardhospitality.com onboardhospitality.

Wessco.net

Untitled-1 1

info@wessco.net

28/03/2022 09:25 3/28/22 12:32 PM

18 / taking off

Serviceware takes flight We turn the spotlight on serviceware with sustainable credentials that you won’t want to miss…

DeSter fibr trays

deSter’s FibR trays are made of bagasse, a fiber material that remains after crushing sugar cane for sugar products that would otherwise go to waste. Earthpads used to cover the bottom of the trays are paper based, compostable and compatible for meat, fruit and seafood, and can be topped with fully-compostable clingfilm or r-PET lids. dester.com

onboardhospitality.com

taking off / 19

COMMENT

Service please Linstol super cup

This paper cup's design allows for a smaller storage footprint.Fully recyclable, it uses an eco ‘Earth Coating’ made of calcium carbonate. linstol.com

D&F MARKETING soup/stew service solution

Plane Talking Products

This innovative new soup and stew service solution allows fresh food to be heated on demand throughout the flight instead of being served only from a pre-heated thermos. Multiple flavours can be loaded, and the soup can be served with filling (something that cannot be done with a thermos flask), ultimately reducing weight and waste. dfmarketing.de

We have noticed two distinct trends in sustainable serviceware. One is the demand for innovative, compostable or biodegradable items which has remained strong, especially on the catering side. That's a demand being met by ovenable bagasse dishes wooden and cardboard cutlery. And the other is a

Trends are towards sustainable materials and rotables slow, but steady increase in the demand for rotable items or recyclable serviceware such as aluminium dishes and lids.

This demand is driven by customers who have returned to multiple use items or who service areas where they have to rely on traditional waste management systems.

vitrelle serviceware

A range of triple layer glass serviceware which is break and chip resistant and extremely lightweight. planetalking.net

Roland Standaert, Global-C

RMT Global Products bagasse serviceware

These sturdy containers use bagasse which is custom moulded to catering specifications. They are water and Made with Delipac plasticgrease-resistant, and safe for cold food storage. They free paperboard, this 100% compostable range features a have been tested up to 230 degrees C / 450 degrees patented EasyClick fastening. F, retaining heat longer when compared to paper or plastic. rmtglobalpartners.com global-c.nl neverleak collection

onboardhospitality.com

Account Executive RMT Global Partners

20 / Sustainable sustainable rail Rail

Green signals C

Roger Williams explores how well railways and their caterers are delivering on sustainability

ompared with other modes of transport, rail has a clear advantage when it comes to sustainability but that doesn't mean train operators and their suppliers are resting on their laurels.

the Swedish Transport Agency, the average car produces 93 grams of CO2/passenger km with one passenger on board while a report by SAS reveals an aircraft produces 95 grams of CO2/ passenger km.

Back in motion

Letting the train take the strain

Railway caterers, badly affected by the pandemic, lost on average 60% of revenues, totalling over £1billion – devastating for an industry that has very low margins and high operating costs. Even now, many are only operating at 60-70% capacity.

Reductions in expenditure curtailed progress of sustainability projects but now more trains are being reintroduced and the wheels of the industry are finally turning again.

There’s also a realisation that sustainability and cost efficiency are not mutually exclusive, Rail colleagues at all levels clearly understand their role in improving efficiency and sustainability and are willing to speed up change.

These figures give an insight into why rail’s drive towards new sustainable catering technology has been slower than with airlines. One example of this is that caterers don’t need to differentiate between F&B loading weights as the variance in train power is negligible, whereas for a plane the weight of the catering load is a crucial factor.

Stock can also be left onboard to save the constant loading, stripping off and reloading transportation and recycling that airline modular systems require. Instead, trains simply top up quantities from platform-side stores, saving a significant amount of energy, equipment, staff time and reducing stock-outs.

Lowest carbon emissions

Food waste priority

The attention of governments and the public on carbon emissions from travel gives rail an advantage with its exceptionally low emissions per passenger kilometre.

According to SJ (Sweden), the carbon footprint for its intercity trains is only 0.0024 grams per pax/km. Comparatively, according to figures from

Food waste is the top consideration for making a change for better onboard sustainability. Trains can last for a whole day (or even days) with only one main stock delivery. However, fresh food waste is a problem when refrigeration power is lost in turnarounds.

Walk-on / walk-off services also mean caterers

onboardhospitality.com

sustainable rail / 21

must guess food quantities. Add in last-minute train changes and very short turnarounds and food waste becomes significant.

Advance data revolution Increasing in-ticket meal reservations, as used

by Eurostar and Thalys, means caterers can match food supplies to customer bookings; while incentivising customers to pre-order can avoid any food waste at all.

RG (Rail Gourmet) with new UK train operator LUMO, has developed this concept and it could revolutionise rail catering. Customers booking tickets on LUMO’s website can pre-order food from one of SSP’s station outlets for delivery to their train. It’s the railway’s version of Deliveroo!

With a huge choice of quality products from M&S' Simply Food, The Pasty Shop and Upper Crust, the customer’s choice is much wider than could ever be offered onboard a train.

Different from onboard apps, there is no waste from pre-loading guesswork and other railways may soon see this dynamic approach being part of their sustainability solutions.

founded in Graz in 1920. “Prost” everyone!

Bistros on Sweden’s SJ trains include organic dishes from Kalf & Hansen, ensuring only seasonal ingredients from local producers, whilst JLV in the Czech Republic and VR in Finland are similar – both highlighting some of the great traditional dishes of their countries, such as the wonderful Alder Smoked Rainbow Trout, a classic Finnish dish.

Elsewhere, the UK’s three main intercity operators target an even narrower supply-chain, choosing products often from within 10 miles of their route.

Local suppliers LNER’s famous Sourcing products locally is breakfast includes also on trend. In Switzerland, traditional hand-made Elvetino uses only Swiss There's also a realisation Lincolnshire Sausages meat and dairy while breads that sustainability and and Yorkshire Bacon, and pastries come directly from local bakeries. Bigger cost efficiency are not while later in the day they serve the regional Beef vegan and vegetarian ranges mutually exclusive and Newcastle Brown Ale encourage customers towards stew. To finish off, there’s food choices better for the local Rutland Red and Northumberland Original environment. Importantly for local growers, five cheese, served with apricot and ginger chutney of Elvetino’s wines are Swiss, with three from the made by The Fruity Kitchen in York. excellent Cave de Genève.

Helpfully, Avanti West Coast provides a map in In Austria, on OBB, the DoN Group identifies its First-Class menus of the local products and all of its Austrian produced meat, eggs and suppliers used, whilst GWR focuses its Pullman dairy using the “Good to know” magnifying glass dining offer on West Country produce, all symbol of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture. helping to promote local artisan and sustainable Its vegetarian dishes all use local ingredients, suppliers to a wider audience. These sustainable whilst the star of the show is the Apricot initiatives become a strong marketing tool.

Schnapps by Bauer, a traditional Austrian brewer onboardhospitality.com

22 / Sustainable sustainable rail Rail

Moving away from landfill Other priorities gaining traction include caterer initiatives to improve reuse and recycling, eliminating single use plastics and reducing, changing or eliminating packaging – all designed to minimise landfill.

Replacing some items that were previously “disposable” with multi-use rotable or crockery requires investment and cost seems the biggest barrier to change. But these are possibilities, as well as the use of more compostable materials.

Local composting may not be a practical solution at stations where catering waste is often bulked with other multiple user waste. The better answer is to avoid landfill in the first place.

Some operators are reducing paper cup usage by offering discounts for customers who bring refillable cups. Elevetino, for example, offers this service. It also provides sustainable non-plastic takeaway cutlery and packaging.

Removing plastic entirely from a catered train was first achieved by Eurostar and is now a common objective. GWR, for example, has changed from plastic bottles to tins for carbonates, while others are using thinner non-virgin plastic from 100% recycled sources.

Thankfully, it seems no-one has plastic stirrers anymore either!

schemes, supporting charities and working with rehabilitation organisations.

During the pandemic, Avanti West Coast distributed nearly £93,000 worth of food to local charities. A main beneficiary was OLIO, the community free food sharing app. As well as reducing the environmental impact of food waste OLIO prevented 38,000kg of CO2 being released into the atmosphere, the equivalent to saving 130,000 car miles.

Elsewhere, LNER’s £500,000 Customer and Community Investment Fund supports 17 local charities, including action against domestic abuse, assisting mental health work and employability skills amongst marginalised groups.

Looking to the future

Building sustainable communities

Encouraging the next generation of train users is vital. Kids love restaurant cars and in Finland there is a proper Kids' Menu and even a separate play area next to the restaurant coach just for them – this is something other railways could learn from if they really want to entice families away from their cars.

Overall, rail operators and their onboard catering partners are improving sustainability and the range of initiatives is encouraging. The green signals of change are everywhere now but we must not take our foot off the pedal. There's still more work to be done.

Alongside these measures, railways are increasingly focused on local community sustainability. Initiatives include employment

Contact roger@thecateringexplorer.com or Roger Williams, RVM on LinkedIn for more insight •

onboardhospitality.com

FOCUS ON / 23

Greener sailing Demand for sustainable holidays has inspired a new era in interior design working to create greener cruise ships, says Jennifer de Vere-Hopkins, associate director, Jestico + Whiles

S

ustainability is a big challenge in the cruise ship industry and for interior designers of large cruise ships, such as Iona and Arvia by P&O Cruises, designing for longevity and careful use of materials is key.

Ships have a service life of at least 40 years but hosting more than 5000 passengers and 1700 crew on each voyage takes its toll and furniture, flooring and wall surfaces are all likely to need a refresh, so minimising the need to replace helps reduce waste while aligning with time and cost considerations. We look to durable longlasting finishes that convey a sense of quality and style, and choose colours and patterns that can help ensure carpets and upholstery withstand a high level of wear, thus prolonging their life.

Material change The supply chains support these efforts. By using Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for products, we can pair with BIM and other digital tools to assess the embodied carbon of our design proposals. As the choice of sustainable materials grows, we are more empowered to choose long-lasting, lower-carbon materials.

Difficulties do remain in comparing products with one another, and

‘de-construction’ rather than demolition, sustainability credentials need to be and just like manufacturers, there are more accessible and transparent. ways designers can facilitate reuse or We rely on labels, standards and recycling for cruise ships. Designing certifications to help us identify the in modular components, and for best products but are growing our mechanical fixings rather than glues, in-house library of preferred sustainable generally means products to offer first material can be on our projects. We replaced if damaged also challenge suppliers or dismantled intact, about the end of their By embracing product’s use. Economy timeless design and so reuse is easier.

Key, from the early in material is a core materials, a ship is design stages of principle for sustainable built to last Iona was making the design. When designing most of every square Iona, for example, we metre by designing truly flexible spaces. used marble veneers to give all the Designing for flexibility ensures a space decorative impact of marble whilst using can adapt over time to changing uses. minimal material. Elsewhere, we limited the size of marble flooring tiles, to better Iona's Grand Atrium is designed to be a space for guests to dine, dance, relax accommodate movement within the and be entertained in. By embracing ship, and eliminate wastage. timeless design and materials, the ship Across the design industry there is is certainly built to last.• a movement towards the concept of

onboardhospitality.com

Focus On Cruise sustainability v5.indd 23

3/29/22 12:33 PM

24 / IN DEBATE

To be or not to B-Corp?

Those serious about sustainable business practice agree accredited recognition is key.

Julie Baxter debates the challenge of securing B-Corp certification with Marc Warde Eco credentials matter for the planet and for business but WHY SHOULD SUSTAINABLE BUYERS LOOK FOR CERTIFICATION ALONG THEIR PROCUREMENT SUPPLY CHAIN?

WHY IS INDEPENDENT CERTIFICATION IMPORTANT? Corporate social responsibility is generally self-measured, or self-assessed. Manufacturers and suppliers submit to various audits and accreditations, BRCGS, STS, AOECS, Medina Food Quality and the like, but none centre on environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals or credentials yet these are the ones that ensure an organisation is run responsibly, something that I believe should be at the core of a sustainable business. There are lots of organisations setting up to assess this but B-Corp is widely recognised as one of the global leaders in this field.

MW

WHAT IS B-CORP STATUS? B Corporation (also B-Lab or B-Corp) is a global non-profit organisation which certifies for-profit companies in recognition of their "social and environmental performance". It is a rigorous assessment across many elements of the business and certified companies must re-certify every three years to maintain their status.

MW

HOW DO YOU GET CERTIFIED? It is not straightforward. You must examine every facet of your business, your customers, your philosophy, your training, your employees and, as a manufacturer, everything that goes with that. The assessment basically covers your entire impact on the world.

MW

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES? In your own manufacturing business, there are many things you can control yourself but when supplying travel operators there MW

onboardhospitality.com

InDebate_BCorp V7.indd 24

3/29/22 02:18 PM

IN DEBATE / 25

are a number of things that you just can’t control, particularly now, as airlines come back from the brink and reinvent themselves in a new, more environmentally-conscious world.

ARE AIRLINES SUPPORTIVE? We recognise airlines face a challenge but the aviation industry is just not there yet.

It still uses systems, software and, in some cases, aircraft older than my socks (and that's old!), and in the special meals sector I supply, the coding system was created over 34 years ago, is in part out-ofdate and makes no dietary, medical or religious sense. Special dietary meals need a complete overhaul in governance, training and international agreement. Thankfully airlines don't take this same attitude to aircraft maintenance.

MW

IF CLIENTS DON'T CARE, DON'T SUPPLIERS FACE A MORAL DILEMMA? Some airlines have made great strides and have specialists in environmental impact within their organisations but most still have plenty of singleuse plastics onboard, don’t recycle (because it simply isn’t possible to do so legally) and use a whole lot of greenwashing to make it look like they are doing more than they are. This is where it gets tricky for suppliers trying to do the right thing.

Ultimately, the packaging we use on many airlines is dictated by our clients and even if we know it's MW

Marc Warde, the founder of Niche Free-from Kitchen, champions the need for environmental accreditation and an end to green-washing

wrong environmentally, they make that call not us.

As a consequence we contribute to the problem we want to solve. What should we do? Do we say no to those clients, and lose hard-won business? It is a moral question, a dilemma, and honestly one we struggle with. In the last two years 90% of our customers have moved away from single-use plastics while others say they are “in the process of updating the current packaging” but plan to continue as they are while stocks remain. We have set deadlines to allow for change because we know ultimately we must do the right thing and turn away from those who won't change.

WHAT MOTIVATES THIS DECISION? For us it is about understanding the true long-term value of our choices, not just the short term costs. We want to leave a legacy through a business fit for the future and have used the pandemic tough times to evolve everything we do with an eye on our corporate social responsibility and impact on the world. We urge others to genuinely engage with this too. • MW

onboardhospitality.com

InDebate_BCorp V7.indd 25

3/29/22 02:19 PM

Untitled-1 1

half page template.indd 1 Untitled-2 1

29/03/2022 14:06

3/30/22 10:05 AM 21/02/2022 14:35

HOW TO... / 27

How to...

...disinfect sustainably As onboard hygiene moves up the agenda, Arash Mahin, co-founder Aero HygenX, tells us how airlines can implement more sustainable disinfection regimes with UV-C light...

THINK DIFFERENTLY

In the wake of Covid-19, airlines are highly focused on delivering a new level of cleanliness for passengers and crew. I was previously director of application development and maintenance at Air Canada and know the challenges of implementing a more sustainable disinfection regime, especially when looking to improve efficiency too.

COME CLEAN

Many post-Covid regimes involve repeated use of harmful chemicals which actually pose significant threats to people and the environment. They often contain corrosive and toxic formulas and aren't suitable for all areas of the interior, such as the cockpit – where chemical pooling or fogging can damage sensitive equipment.

LIGHTEN UP

UV-C light has proven effectiveness in disinfecting hospitals and water treatment facilities, and is now being applied as an alternative for onboard aircraft. It is highly efficient against viruses and bacteria – destroying the pathogens linked to many illnesses including Ebola, SARS, MERS and Covid-19.

CUT CHEMICAL COSTS

UV-C is a safe and effective way to sanitise multi-touch aircraft surfaces and can cut chemical costs.

It can include an autonomous UV-C disinfection solution which also

FACT FILE UV-C technology can be put to work on jet-bridges, lounges, crew workstations, vehicles, airport security, trains and cruise ships.

Solutions like RAY (top image) and SparX Aero HygenX

are designed for the rigours of aviation.

The improper application of chemical disinfectants can cause corrosion, embrittlement, flammability, and even electrical short circuits.

improves turnaround times and reduces labour costs, freeing crew to complete other jobs, and protecting them from any possible exposure to UV wavelengths.

Autonomous functionality also ensures consistency of disinfection standards, eliminating the risk of human error.

To disinfect small spaces, like lavatories, crew rest areas, cockpits or driver cabs in ground-handling equipment, there are portable UV-C solutions. Be sure to check the availability and replacement plans associated with bulbs as some generate ozone (which is itself bad for the environment).

CELEBRATE SUCCESS

UV-C success stories can be shared through your inflight magazine and digital channels showing you’re keeping passengers safe and protecting the environment. •

onboardhospitality.com

How To... disinfect sustainably V7.indd 27

3/28/22 11:45 AM

28 / THINK TWICE

The true cost of textiles Blankets and bedding onboard add comfort and wellbeing but if you're looking to make sustainable choices Ellie Parkes, of textiles specialist John Horsfall, encourages you to think beyond recycled fleece to consider the full life-cycle of the products...

As the post-pandemic rebuilding begins it is clear sustainability is back on the agenda.

Airlines are asking for sustainable options and trying to do the right thing, but they don't necessarily know quite what that means when it comes to textiles.

Buyers are showing commitment to sustainability but they are not textile experts so they need support in their decision-making and the answers are not straight-forward. Sometimes the most obvious solution is not the most sustainable long-term. These are multi-faceted decisions which take careful thought...

to also think about how long that product will be used for before its quality falls below what is required, and Think life-cycle then consider what It is important to will happen to it when consider the entire life of a textile product Recycled materials are its life onboard ends.

Even recycled products the manufacturing, the increasingly widely come at a cost to the use, the laundering, available but are not environment and in the durability and the always the most some circumstances disposal. sustainable option combining recycled Buyers often start fibres with a more by focusing on traditional woven fabric, which will be much recycled material, which can make more long lasting, adds to the sustainability great sense. Recycled polyester is of an onboard textile choice. made from waste plastics, such as rPET created from plastic water bottles which might otherwise end Think durability up in landfill. It is a material which A bespoke woven fabric made from tightly spun yarn in a compact weave construction behaves in a very similar way to virgin will be really hard-wearing. Compared with polyester so as a swap for fleece blankets a knitted, brushed fleece there will be less or duvet fillings it can be a great place to risk of shedding and piling and you will not start. But if you make that choice you need

onboardhospitality.com

Think Twice - Textiles V8.indd 28

3/29/22 02:22 PM

THINK TWICE / 29

Think fleece...

Recycled polyester is made from plastics diverted from landfill and is a relatively inexpensive swap for onboard fleece blankets and as a filling for duvets or pillows. It allows for a choice of colour, limited edging detail and labelled branding.

Fleece is made from knitting fibres that are then brushed to make it feel cosy. This process also leads to piling over time.

Think woven...

A woven fabric can include natural and recycled fibres. It provides multiple pattern, style and branding opportunities. It is generally more expensive to buy but this can be balanced out by its greater durability. A cleverly designed weave construction can provide a cosy warm feel.

Think lifetime costs...

have to think about replacing and disposal so soon. Making these decisions is a balancing act. Sustainable procurement is a complex topic and isn’t as simple as buying one recycled (or recyclable) product!

We encourage buyers to take a broad and holistic approach to sustainability, use technical expertise to advise and support their decision making, so they can then promote their sustainable choices with real confidence when they are made.

In this spirit of knowledge exchange we joined the Onboard Hospitality Planet Action Group which brings together industry colleagues, competitors and customers to turn the spotlight onto the urgency of the sustainability agenda in travel. Together we can identify key areas that need focused attention, and action. We’re delighted to have this unique opportunity to collaborate openly and constructively with other industry stakeholders.

Look beyond the headline costs before making a decision. Factor in the durability and laundering. A light-weight fleece may have a low initial outlay and wear well for 20 washes but for around 40% more you could have a woven blanket which will look better for much longer.

Rethink full value...

A recycled fleece typically begins to deteriorate after 20/30 washes. A similar weight woven fabric typically retains its quality for 50-100 washes.

Rethink disposal...

Whatever textiles you choose, factor in the environmental costs of disposal too. Closed loop opportunities are not yet easily accessible on a global scale so find local projects, charities for your old products and reuse opportunities close to your hub. Don't commit to textile programmes that require you to fly textiles to a new location at the end of their life. •

If you want to be better informed about textiles and sustainable choices Ellie recommends the following: apparelcoalition.org textileexchange.org johnhorsfall.com/sustainableprocurement-blog ellenmacarthur foundation.org

onboardhospitality.com

Think Twice - Textiles V8.indd 29

3/29/22 02:23 PM

istockphoto.com/ JDawnInk

30 / eco amenities

T

April Waterston explores how amenity suppliers are considering sustainability in their kit designs

here are multiple facets to consider when assessing an amenity kit’s sustainable credentials. Everything from the materials used and its construction, to the provenance of its contents and the kits reusability play a role in minimising its environmental impact.

Finding the right balance between all these things, and identifying what is truly sustainable is no mean feat. With that in mind, we caught up with five key amenity kit suppliers to discover how they’re creating greener options for airline buyers with sustainability on their minds.

Kaelis “If the circular economy is the heart, sustainability is the heartbeat,” says Manoj Pridhanani creative director, head of product

& sustainability at Kaelis. “It is at the core, right from inception, throughout the development process, production and even in the afterlife of products to make sure we close the loop.

Pridhanani runs me through Kaelis’ design and development process. “We start with the fabric: Choosing the right material is essential and today advanced technology allows us to create magic.

Up-cycling waste, we transform it into yarn and versatile fabrics, cleaning up the landfills. For a greener tomorrow, a cleaner tomorrow. These new sustainable materials are then recycled ‘closing the loop.’

“Choosing the correct form also ensures we are keep waste to a minimum, we design with in-depth knowledge of the production process so creativity blends in with intelligence, driving efficient processes.

onboardhospitality.com

eco amenities / 31

“Most important is the functionality. At the design stage, we work to make products versatile and ergonomic to extend their life whoever receives it - useful to both the tech-savvy person, for example, and the fashion enthusiast.”

In 2019, Kaelis worked on an amenity kit for Air Europa. Its aim was to reduce the use of plastic, which it did so by removing all the plastic packaging from the kit, substituting with kraft paper bands. Kaelis also partnered with a sustainable cosmetic brand, The Rerum Natura, with eco packaging. These sustainable elements played a big role in Kaelis’ Onboard Hospitality Awards 2020 win, bagging the company the Best Business Class Amenity Kit Award.

Pridhanani continues. “It is our responsibility to focus on sustainability. In order to be relevant tomorrow, we have to be an integral part of the change today!”

Kaelis has recently embarked on what it is calling Mission ECO, which focuses on recycled and recyclable materials as well as the process and the re-usability of products. It is gearing up towards a sustainable business model and closed-loop infrastructure model. Mission ECO is divided it into five branches: ECO Life, ECO Style, ECO Waves, ECO Mode and ECO Effect. This is an action plan to be a part of the 2030 Global Sustainable Goals.

“This is the start of the journey, and even though the goal may feel like a distant dream, every small step takes us closer,” concludes Pridhanani. “We want to bring about behavioural change in the travel industry and have been inspired to do so by the travellers - they are more conscious today, more aware. We have faced hurdles and come out stronger, with greater zest to achieve our goal.”

WESSCO WESSCO’s latest green-kit venture comes in the form of LATAM’s new “Eco Kits”. Designed for passengers travelling in Premium Business, the kits are based on local design and highlight the gradual incorporation of sustainability. The bags are designed to be reusable, versatile and unique, making them collectable and long-lasting.

In keeping with LATAM and WESSCO’s commitment to eliminating single-use plastics, the bag is delivered without packaging, and includes reusable materials such as a bamboo

toothbrush and a sugar cane cap. The earplug packaging is made of kraft paper to minimise the use of plastic, and the socks and masks are made of recycled plastic.

The toiletry bag includes Sustainability is our cosmetic products responsibility. To be (hand cream, lip balm relevant tomorrow, we and a refreshing towel) produced by Feito Brasil, have to be part of the a B-Corp certified brand change today (recognising management in the financial, social and environmental fields) and its development pillars focus on sustainability through cruelty-free and vegan, natural ingredients, raw materials and local production, as well as being handmade by local craftswomen.

Buzz Australia-based Buzz has launched a new ecofriendly amenity kit which it has aptly named

onboardhospitality.com

Above from top: Air Europa and LATAM showcasing their sustainability priorities through their amenity kits

32 / eco amenities

‘All Good Things’.

With the environmental impact of travel in sharp focus, and in support of the IATA target of a 50% reduction in aviation CO2 emissions by 2050, the Buzz sustainability team set itself a challenge to design a plastic-free and zero waste amenity kit.

The All Good Things amenity kit is designed to help travellers feel good, knowing that their onboard comfort items are designed with their environmental footprint considered.

The kit features renewable materials including tin, cotton canvas, aluminium, bamboo, FSC paper, and wood. Also included are ToothChews, an innovative, environmentally-friendly alternative to toothpaste, that does away with the tube and saves water.

Through a 'Join the Movement' programme, Buzz has also worked alongside its We are committed to airline partners to remove using our design 13 million polybags from innovation to help circulation. protect our planet “We are on a journey to zero waste and we are committed to using our design innovation to help protect our planet”, said Leonard Hamersfeld, director. onboardhospitality.com

Linstol Linstol has recently upped its focus on sustainability with the appointment of Bill Carrejo as director of sustainable operations.

Newest among its output is a blanket kit for Air Transat which features products made from post-consumer recycled materials, and contains no excess plastic packaging. “Previously, it came in a plastic bag, which the passenger would open, take the blanket out, and find inside another plastic bag with an eye mask,” Carrejo explains.

“There were also ear plugs in a plastic bag, and a pair of socks in a plastic bag. We replaced the plastic with recycled cardboard or paper board, and now it just has a band around it that tells the passenger, ‘I used to be a plastic bag’.”

Going forward, reusability is key. Linstol's collectible kit for United commemorating the airline’s retired 747s is a prime example – the kit was made of recyclable aluminium and came in four different collectible themes. “When we design amenity kits the first thought is always ‘what's the best material we can use that gives this kit a chance to be more than single use?’ We design our kits to have a level of value.

"The goal is to find the best way to remove, reduce or replace plastic items with those that can be sustainable and meet the goals for the

eco amenities / 33

identity of the airline. We know it is a process that can happen one step at a time, moving one product at at time towards sustainability."

FORMIA FORMIA is aiming to transform its entire business to be truly sustainable. Its goal is to become a net-zero carbon company by 2030 and offer netzero carbon amenity kits as of 2022.

With dedicated internal groups led by FORMIA’s sustainability lead and subject matter expert, Sarah Klatt-Walsh, FORMIA has developed a highly-focused, action-led framework and objectives which aim to bring about data-driven change and impacts that can be measured, in order to help it achieve its targets.

In the past few months, FORMIA has focused on three of its five key sustainability targets: net-zero carbon, circularity as a service, and expanding its meaningful partnerships.

“There is much interest from our airline customers and other stakeholders in our net-zero carbon activities,” says Klatt-Walsh.

“Together with REBEL, our sustainability partner, we have made initial steps towards achieving this target by conducting product lifecycle impact analysis and measuring our corporate

greenhouse gas emissions.”

A highly-focused, actionOne of led framework brings FORMIA’s about data-driven first initiatives change with impacts to reduce its environmental that can be measured impact was introduced in 2021 when it began transitioning the virgin polyester in inflight socks and eye masks to 100% recycled PET. To date, FORMIA claims this has saved 568 tons of greenhouse emissions in CO2-eq, equal to 125 cars driving on the road for a year, and in terms of energy, 16’160 GJ-eq (GigaJoule-eq) which equates to the energy required to run 3,500 US Below: Created in a tin and households for one year. with collectible afterlife value, United's kit to Another goal of FORMIA is to become more celebrate the retirement of circular by nature, and to offer circularity as a the 747 service. “As a given, we design our amenity kits with the end in mind so that they can be reused, refurbished, recycled, and/or composted,” says Klatt-Walsh. “This helps prevent kits from ending up in landfill or being incinerated.

onboardhospitality.com

34 / eco amenities

Key to sustainability success are partnerships with sustainable cosmetic brands for inserted products

“This can be achieved in several ways – for example, through the use of mono-materials that can be recycled and/or composted, removing as many “extras” as possible, such as zippers, buttons, additional lining, etc, and designing the bags in such a way that they can be easily open, emptied, refreshed and refilled.”

Skysupply Skysupply's most recent sustainability-focused kit has been designed for SWISS. Featuring products made of kraft paper and paper pulp, the kit is largely designed to reduce plastic waste. It aims to be a simple, functional, and resource-saving amenity kit with eco credentials to boot.

Passengers who depart from Zurich receive the Kraft Paper Kit, which – just like the Paper Pulp Kit – includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, a sleeping mask and earplugs stored in a small pouch. Whilst the bag is light, tear-resistant, and washable, it has been cleverly designed to mimic the look and feel of leather, with functionality to encourage use in everyday life post-flight.

Plane Talking Products Going plastic-free is at the top of the agenda for Plane Talking Products (PTP). The team is currently working on what it hopes will be a 100% plastic-free and biodegradable amenity kit.

Key to the kit's anticipated success is a partnership with UK-based sustainable cosmetics brand, Scence. The brand boasts a 100% vegan

certification and fully-compostable packaging across a range of products from lip balms to deodorants. Ethically-sourced ingredients make up a selection of refreshing scents including Sweet Citrus, Earthy Spice and Fragrant Berry.

"My brief was to find a truly plastic free, sustainable brand to be part of a wider fully eco friendly amenity kit," explained Bryony Koziol, designer at PTP. "Scence ticks all the boxes and they are brilliant to work with. We really love their ethos and values and most importantly, we love the products – my personal favourite is the fresh mint lip balm."

Other innovations will include a gel toothpaste capsule encapsulated in a consumable plantbased film, and the use of alternative materials such as seaweed, toxin-free textiles and coffee grounds. The kit is currently being refined, and the team at PTP hopes to launch with a complete prototype at the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) in Hamburg this June. Watch this space! • onboardhospitality.com

trolley washer

tray dishwasher

flight type dishwasher

Warewashing systems for up

cart lifts

to 50 000 trays/day

DISKOMAT is your supplier of customized and professional flight catering solutions. Together with our partner WEXIODISK we supply the flight catering industry with Swedish high quality products.

Contact us for more information, info@diskomat.com

Untitled-2 1

half page template.indd 1

www.diskomat.com

www.wexiodisk.com

22/02/2022 09:43

3/28/22 12:41 PM

36 / IN CONVERSATION

Collaborative creation BEN READ AND MARISA PITSCH

The FORMIA creative team is putting sustainability at the forefront of its amenity kit production. April Waterston discovers how

Sustainability is increasingly touching every product so I asked Ben Read, creative director, and Marisa Pitsch, chief customer experience officer, to explain its role in the creative process.

Taj Group. My passion lies in creating considered strategy touching all elements of a customer experience.

Together, Ben and I bring humancentered, experience-led thinking to the design process.

Q.

Q. Run us through your design process and how you bring ideas to life for your clients?

B : We take a tailored approach to design which starts with understanding our clients’ requirements and aspirations. We undertake intensive research to select the most relevant

Tell us your route to our industry?

B : Prior to joining FORMIA, I was already working in the amenities and comfort items industry and had worked on high profile and award-winning projects for clients such as Cathay Pacific and Emirates.

My background is in analysing and forecasting trends in consumer behaviour, demographics, fashion and beauty, and translating these trends into inspired designs for the world of retail beauty.

Today, airlines are more and more inspired by consumer and retail trends and these inform their amenity programmes, so a significant part of our design process leans on our research and analysis of global passenger profiles and mirrors the process of trend analysis for retail.

M : I have a background in consulting and crafting award-winning experiences designed to transform airlines to world class and hotels to five-star. I’m privileged to have worked with airlines such as Etihad Airways and Qatar Airlines and hotels such as the Savoy London, the Kempinski Group and the

Our aim is to bring about data-driven change and measurable impacts to help achieve ambitious targets for ourselves and our airline clients brands which align with the airlines’ DNA, values and communities.

We also consider regional and demographic consumer insights, sustainability and wellness priorities, and aim to create maximum perceived value, to budget.

M : It is a fully collaborative process with the creation and sharing of designs and concepts so everyone involved feels engaged and passionate

throughout the process.

We believe it’s crucial to experience the product first-hand just as the passenger will, so from the initial conversations through to production, a key part of the process is seeing and feeling the materials and experiencing the reusable functionality of a kit.

Q. What design trends are you currently excited about?

B : We are excited by the airlines' increased desire to see sustainability translated into amenities. This means more innovative materials and a shift in the design approach and process to ensure greater good for our planet and for communities.

Wellness is another very interesting trend now gaining momentum postpandemic. It challenges airlines to think beyond the hard product like lighting and comfort in the cabin, to look more closely at product ingredients, engaging the senses, sleep quality and how you continue to incorporate aspects and lifestyle routines across the journey.

These are all becoming part of the amenity kit mix now.

Finally, the notion of ‘radical reform’ is impaortant - current global, social and cultural influences and how they have impact people, communities and everyday lives. People’s priorities are changing, there have been dynamic shifts in thinking all influencing consumers and inspiring design.

onboardhospitality.com

In Convo Formia v4.indd 36

3/29/22 12:33 PM

IN CONVERSATION / 37

Q. What are the most impactful ways to incorporate sustainability into a product?

B : Sustainability has to be integrated into the fabric of products through conscious design, responsible supply chains and meaningful partnerships.

M : We view ourselves as part of the airlines’ value chain and with every project, we challenge ourselves to design products with as little carbon footprint as possible and with circularity in mind. This includes curating materials that have less impact in the production phase, can be recycled, or have recycled content, and include a high take-home appeal to extend their lifespan.

FORMIA is on a path to become a net-zero carbon company and offers net-zero carbon amenities. We have recently completed our first Life Cycle Impact Analysis, measuring the impact of an amenity kit from raw material extraction to the end of life process.

The results enable us to assess the environmental impact of different criteria and can support airlines with their own net-zero targets.

Ben Read, creative director (pictured above), and Marisa Pitsch, chief customer experience officer (pictured below) are integral members of FORMIA's creative team.

Q. What is most important to airlines when it comes to sustainability in their kits?

B : The biggest impact on amenity kits comes from the choice of materials which consider overall environmental impact, recyclability and reusability.

M : We also see increased focus on the social element, with efforts to support connected communities, as well as transparency in all elements of the production processes.

We are on a journey to drive positive change for people and the planet, and our aim is to bring about further datadriven change and measurable impacts to help achieve ambitious targets for both ourselves and our airline clients. • onboardhospitality.com

In Convo Formia v4.indd 37

3/29/22 12:33 PM

38 / Sustainable sourcing

Sustainable sourcing With consumers increasingly conscious of the food industry's supply chain, April Waterston investigates the role sustainable sourcing plays in onboard catering development

O

f all the shows, movies and documentaries I consumed during the early days of the pandemic lockdown, Netflix’s Seaspiracy still haunts me to this day.

The documentary unpacked the fishing industry, debunking myths about sustainability and exposing harsh truths about what really goes on, unseen, in the middle of those vast oceans.

I’ve long been an advocate for animal rights, but I was shocked to hear of the wider impact of the industry. Bold claims by the documentary included harrowing statistics, stating 24,000 fishing workers die at work each year, longline boats set enough fishing line into the ocean to wrap around the earth 500 times, and bottom trawling in the ocean releases as much carbon as air travel. Suddenly animal welfare became just one of many considerations, and sustainable , ethical credentials across the entire supply chain was brought into very sharp focus.

in September 2021 found that responsible sourcing and animal welfare were a key concern for consumers, with 77% concerned with animal welfare and 76% agreeing that responsible production in farming, fishing and agriculture are of importance. Many of these would pay a premium too, with 31% agreeing they would pay slightly more when purchasing food and drink products that protected animal welfare.

The issues of sourcing and seasonality are moving up the agenda. Local sourcing is ranked important to 72% of consumers and seasonality important to 65% when choosing food & drink.

Demand for responsible sourcing I’m not alone. Research by Nestlé Professional onboardhospitality.com

sustainable sourcing / 39

Katya Simmons, managing director Nestlé Professional UK&I, comments: “These findings show a sizeable gap between what consumers want and what they're currently being served. Despite this, the areas highlighted for improvement can be easily implemented by food operators. As well as injecting a welcome boost of creativity in their operations, the benefits are wide-ranging – improving staff morale as well as increasing customer loyalty.”

meal more. These things go together and we are hopeful onboard menus will return soon.

“Airlines tell us food will be an important differentiator in the recovery. They are not predicting a price war and if prices remain up, passenger expectations rise and food and beverage is one of the most cost effective ways to add value."

Top priorities

Another caterer making responsible sourcing a priority is dnata Catering. “Ethical and sustainable procurement is one of our top priorities and “Airlines are definitely interested and thinking is non-negotiable in our about these issues,” says business,” says Stephen Laura Schaadt, joint-MD at Schwartz, general manager German caterer Frankenberg. procurement, dnata “The key to sustainable The key to sustainable Catering Australia. “It is sourcing is sourcing locally sourcing is sourcing a requirement of our and collaborating closely with your suppliers. We have locally and collaborating suppliers to have in place and adhere to best very long-term relationships with your suppliers practice corporate with our suppliers so we governance standards can be sure they are honest and to ensure they operate ethically at and trustworthy. These relationships make a all times. In the workplace this includes big difference because it is easier to have a full health and safety, human rights and workplace understanding of what your suppliers are doing conditions. Environmentally it includes carbon and absolute faith in the product you buy.” footprint reduction, recycling and even the However, Schlaadt points out that making packaging we receive the products in. In our changes to onboard menus in the current postfood supply chain it includes animal welfare and Covid climate is not easy. “Part of the issue currently is the fact that normal menu cards have growing practices.”

Claudia Frösler-Witt, director retail programme been removed from aircraft. If you are investing management at Retail inMotion, echoes this a little more in sustainable or organic credentials, sentiment. “Ethical sourcing and product you want to be able to benefit from some related sustainability have become increasingly marketing. If you are selling a sustainable/ important in the last few years and organic product you need to be able to explain have evolved from a trend the back story of the meals so passengers fully to being appreciated what you are offering them. When they know the details of the product and those details are all good, they will definitely enjoy the onboardhospitality.com

istockphoto.com/ golero

istockphoto.com/Svetlana Aganina

Bring it onboard

40 / Sustainable sourcing

incorporated into our daily business. This is why we are continuously working on methods to consider this aspect when developing a suitable retail programme for our airline customers.

For example, for one of our airline customers we developed a tool that helps us evaluate a product’s degree of sustainability before making a listing decision. The evaluation includes various factors such as product ingredients, ecological footprint, creating awareness and brand responsibility. At the same time, we are also considering the commercial factors of the project.”

A helping hand There are a number of accreditations and governing bodies that can offer guidance on suppliers. For example, in late 2021 the Marine Conservation Society launched a new tool called the Good Fish Guide for Business.

The guide rates seafood based on where and how it is caught or farmed using a simple traffic light system. Green is ‘Best Choice’ and red is ‘Fish to Avoid’. Ratings are based on impacts such as bycatch, habitat damage and overfishing for wild seafood, and fish feed and environmental impacts for farmed seafood.

Jack Clarke, Sustainable Seafood Advocate at the Marine Conservation Society, says: “After more than a year of exploring consumer attitudes and values, it’s clear that sustainability sells. The Good Fish Guide for Business is a way of making it easier for businesses to support their customers and provide sustainablysourced seafood, rigorously

onboardhospitality.com

assessed by the experts at the Good Fish Guide.”

Many companies also work with Sedex, an ethical trade membership organisation which aims to help businesses improve working conditions in global supply chains. Through Sedex, over 60,000 member organisations from over 180 countries can exchange data, manage business risk, meet compliance and drive positive impacts.

Quality control Responsible sourcing not only results in a clear conscience but also better quality products.

“To produce quality products, you must use quality products,” explains Robert Smithson, head of culinary, dnata Catering Australia.

“This is why we only partner with suppliers that pass our thorough onboarding process, with a strong emphasis on ethical considerations and sustainability.

“To help us deliver quality products, we partner with Australian businesses that align with our values and place the same importance on these ethical considerations as we do. Companies like Macka’s Australian Black Angus, Humpty Doo Barramundi and Huon Aquaculture are leading the way in their respective markets and produce some of the best quality produce in Australia.”

Anita Visvanath, category manager F&B, Retail inMotion, looks for key characteristics when choosing suppliers. “In terms of product ingredients, regional origin and characteristics like vegan, vegetarian, organic and clean label are important ethical parameters," she says.

"We use data from suppliers to identify those that strive to be carbon neutral, offset emissions or reduce waste in their production process.

A commitment towards sourcing fair trade products and actively donating to charitable or ecological causes is also a positive indicator.” •

HOW TO... / 41

How to...

...rethink water Water is an on-the-move staple now creating a mountain of plastic-bottle waste. Here Andy Grabowski, of beverage supplier Intervine, assesses aluminum as an alternative…

SEE THE POTENTIAL

Bottled water is big business. Sales reached $18.1billion in 2020 with trends all showing further growth is being fueled largely by enhanced, flavoured sparkling, and flavoured non-carbonated waters. There has also been a 144% growth in the number of water products priced at $1.79 or more, showing a large increase in the premium category.

TAP INTO TRENDS

Recent surveys have also shown that 52% of Americans claim to have upped their water intake in the past year. And that around 75% of Millennials are altering their buying habits with the environment in mind. They are showing greater willingness to pay more for sustainable ingredients and products which are environmentallyfriendly, organic, natural, or socially responsible. These consumers increasingly expect a better taste and nearly half expect natural sourcing for premium waters.

FOCUS ON PLASTIC

This is all good news for water sales but not so great for the environment. Single-use plastics, as used largely for bottled water, account for 40% of the plastic produced every year. Up to 24 billion pounds of plastic is entering our oceans each year, and while you and your team may be recycling, in fact less than 9% of the world’s plastic is actually recycled.

ALUMINIUM ALTERNATIVES

FACT FILE 48% of the total water sales category is now sparkling and growing 28% year on year.

Intervine works with a range of on-thego water suppliers and looks to match products to passenger trends.

Proud Source, naturally-alkaline water, is aiming to divert 200m bottles from landfill by 2030 by using aluminium packaging.

Certified B-Corp, Proud Source never bottles more than 5% of a spring's output.

Aluminum seems to offer a useful alternative and is gaining traction.

Aluminum cans were the fastest growing packaging type for new non-alcoholic beverage launches 2013-2018. And the range of closable aluminum bottles is also on the up. Aluminium has the highest recycling yield of any beverage packaging material. It is infinitely recyclable and has a high scrap value which generates strong demand for it and drives up recycling rates.

For onboard service it has the further benefits of being lightweight, cube-efficient for stowing, air-tight, shatter-proof and allows zero light penetration.

While plastic recycling is still in its infancy, effective recycling infrastructure is already in place to make aluminum a true enabler of a circular economy •

onboardhospitality.com

How To... intervine V5.indd 41

3/24/22 06:01 PM

42 / FOCUS ON

Packaging board A board shortage is creating new challenges for packaging suppliers. Peter Hargreaves, of The Alexir Partnership, explains how to protect your products

A

s we emerge from the strains of Covid-19 and inflight service resumes, the focus is returning to food packaging and a new challenge has arisen.

Along with the revival of business, in late 2021 we began to see an acute shortage of raw materials especially carton board impacting orders.

I'd like to be able to give you some concrete reasons for this along with a clear path and timeline for when this situation will ease but unfortunately I cannot. Reasons for the shortage range from Covid-hit board mills through to a massive increase in demand worldwide as all markets started to reopen.

But one thing is patently clear – this situation will not improve in 2022. For specialist materials, such as ovenable and grease barrier card, improvements could take another 12-18 months.

So what can you do to protect your inflight service delivery? My advice would be to dual source where possible.

There is no guarantee a second supplier can help where your incumbent supplier cannot, but it will spread the risk greatly.

However solid your supplier relationship is, they can no longer promise continuity of supply. Many board mills are now

allocating the board stock and suppliers cannot be certain of their allocation.

the conversion time taken to turn the board into usable product packaging.

Do not promise or get tied into fixed price contracts, just don’t do it! Almost Think flexibly without fail every new mill making Be prepared to make instant decisions. comes with an increased price which Board merchants do not now know neither suppliers or airlines can be what materials they will have in stock expected to absorb. until it arrives and it Board is now will be sold on again international and we within 24 hours with no certainty of when, A global shortage of buy from all around the world including or if, that stock will be packaging board South America and replenished. means you must be the Far East – so we Be prepared to flexible and act fast know these current accept differing grades shortages and price of board to enable increases are worldwide. continuity of supply of products to I am well aware that this does not passengers even if it means a redesign make good reading but these are the of packaging items, you must be facts as they stand today and I hope prepared to be flexible. fully understanding this element of Expect extended lead times and I your product will at least help you to mean extended, some mill orders from protect your product and increase your early Q1 will not be delivered until business during 2022.• Q2-Q3 2022 and that is before you add

onboardhospitality.com

Focus On packaging board V6.indd 42

3/28/22 12:01 PM

IN CONVERSATION / 43

ONCE YOU COMMIT TO CHANGE, A ZERO WASTE SOLUTION CAN HAPPEN Sustainable inflight service solutions are now possible and are set to roll out fast in the next year predicts Philippe de Naeyer, director sustainability at deSter

L

ate last year, deSter became the first and only supplier on the airline market given EFSA approval on a closed loop recycling system for food-use plastic tableware.

This took two years to achieve but finally offers airline’s a truly sustainable solution for rotable items.

In making sustainable choices we believe the guiding principles must be around the circular economy and waste hierarchy to avoid waste. Making something once, to be used once before recycling doesn't really make sense.

Better to create something that will last as long as possible and use materials that can ultimately be recycled and made into the same product again.

It is a common sense approach but for airlines, legislation around food waste/contamination has always made it difficult to deal with a reusable

product’s end of life. Now we have created a process whereby products such as serving trays, bowls, cups or drinking glasses are produced in-house, delivered to the airline, used onboard, then collected for washing and reuse. If the product is at the end of its life, it is collected, re-ground and subsequently down-cycled into a new product.

When culinary meets tech Within this process tableware items can be re-used a minimum 150 times (potentially up to even 400), then made into a new product ensuring food safety throughout. KLM, with its caterer KCS, is already using this process and others will follow very soon. There are a lot of small details to consider in this process but once you commit to change, change can happen. You can move to a zero waste solution.

When the challenges of reusables really cannot be overcome, we are working most on compostable items made from renewal materials that can go with the catering food waste. Our goal is to ensure every product we offer by 2025 is recycled, reused or composted. And by 2030 every product we offer will create zero waste – clients buying from us will have to be part of the recycle process.

Increasingly airlines want to do the right thing and are grappling with the complexities of inflight sustainability and the options available. Focusing on cutting waste is the most logical and straight-forward approach and as these initiatives and policies are adopted more widely, momentum will build and inflight service can be an integral part of the sustainable solution not an unfathomable part of the problem. •

onboardhospitality.com

In Conversation dester v6.indd 43

3/29/22 02:39 PM

THE DESTINATION FOR THE CABIN INTERIORS INDUSTRY Aircraft Interiors Expo is back in Hamburg from June 14–16, 2022. The world’s main marketplace for cabin interiors is where the global industry challenges and design the cabin of the future.

Find out more at: www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com/OBH1 Co-located:

Untitled-2 1

Organised by :

29/03/2022 15:55

FOCUS ON / 45

A united front

T

The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals can help guide our industry to impact thr world for good, says April Waterston

he United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are designed to achieve a sustainable world 'for all'. The UN says that the 17 goals recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and environmental preservation.

The goals are: No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Good Health and Well-being; Quality Education; Gender Equality; Clean Water and Sanitation; Affordable and Clean Energy; Decent Work and Economic Growth; Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Reduced Inequality; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; Life Below Water; Life on Land; Peace and Justice Strong Institutions, and Partnerships to achieve the Goals.

Incorporate the goals The SDGs cover a wide breadth of areas, and combined aim to cover all the elements needed to create a better, more sustainable world Aviation Benefits Beyond Borders

advocacy events, increase awareness (aviationbenefits.org) explains how of volunteering opportunities, and the aviation industry does and can accelerate the SDGs in the “Leave no contribute to at least 15 of the goals, one behind” agenda. including those that may seem less In addition, Etihad promotes the relevant. For example, the No Poverty UNV and activities across its own goal has been tackled with $160 million channels, including of onboard donations the Etihad Guest as part of Unicef's loyalty programme to Change for Good encourage members campaign. Around The goals aim to to donate their Quality Education, it cover all bases to Etihad Guest Miles in points out that four million students travel create a better, more support of UNV. Toily Kurbanov, to study abroad each sustainable world executive year, many by air. coordinator, UNV, One airline said: “I hope this partnership will help considering the goals is Etihad. In grow awareness of the inspiring actions summer 2021, Etihad became the taken by UN Volunteers around the first airline to sign an agreement globe. Through miles donation, Etihad with the United Nations Volunteers Guest members will have a direct (UNV) programme. The UNV channel to back such actions.” supports volunteering globally and sdgs.un.org • aims to engage Etihad volunteers in

onboardhospitality.com

Focus On SDGs v4.indd 45

3/29/22 12:32 PM

46 / NEXT-GEN FORUM

Green futures The next generation will have to live with the fallout of climate change. With that in mind, we ask our Next-Gen Forum for their thoughts and priorities for a sustainable future The next generation of onboard hospitality decision-makers needs to be heard, so here Onboard Hospitality gives them a voice!

Our Next-Gen Forum is a panel of young professionals making their mark on the inflight services industry.

They bring fresh perspectives and new ideas on hot topics and we are featuring them in each issue of Onboard Hospitality and online. With the importance of sustainability at the forefront of discussions, in this issue we ask...

WHAT AREAS OF SUSTAINABILITY ARE YOU PERSONALLY MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT? WHAT SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON? Alexandra Allen Design manager at John Horsfall As a designer, my focus is constantly on looking forward to upcoming trends and new innovations in the market. With so many new, interesting technologies and sustainable innovations in textiles, the most exciting element of design is to use these initiatives to help futureproof our work. New developments in sustainable textiles are emerging - new fibres derived from natural sources, for example, reducing micro-fibre pollution; textile waste initiatives, and ways to improve textile circularity. The

really interesting challenge is then interpreting these innovations into an accessible, commercial format for the aviation industry's needs.

Sustainability is just as important to John Horsfall as creativity. Because of this our Re-Thread fillings are made

The time to act is now to help preserve our planet for future generations from 100% recycled polyester as standard. Our fillings are now produced from polyester fibres spun from 100% recycled plastic bottles.

This could be recycling as many as 50 bottles to produce the filling of a mattress pad, limiting drastically the amount of plastic bottle waste going to landfill. Pairing this filling with our Re-Thread recycled fabrics can result in a 100% recycled onboard product.

For many years there have been multiple discussions with our customers on the ever-increasing importance of sustainable initiatives in the aviation industry. We are so proud to finally see some of these sustainable projects appearing onboard.

We encourage our airline clients in to invest in well-made, considerately sourced, long-lasting products, which can be safely reused time and time

again; therefore reducing the amount of textiles heading to landfill.

We aim for a big impact on the passenger experience, not on the Earth!

Bernd Koperdraad Export manager, Sola The Netherlands The most interesting areas of sustainability are, in my perspective, the economic and environmental areas.

What makes these areas so interesting is that we need to see how we can create a stable world economy without damaging the environment too much.

At Sola we became a member of Amfori BSCI in 2018. When a company becomes a member of Amfori BSCI it agrees to actively contribute to an open and sustainable trade. We are contributing to this internally with a recycling programme that ensures carton packaging is reused as much as possible, by giving it a new function.

All remaining carton and paper are collected and disposed from other waste. Our plastic cutlery bags and polybags are slowly being replaced by paper bags and we’re developing new, plastic free packaging options for our existing products.

Anne Charlotte Moreel Lead designer, Clip Limited As a designer, I'm really interested in materials. I think the materials used completely

onboardhospitality.com

Next Gen forum V5.indd 46

3/29/22 11:10 AM

Next-Gen Forum

change the vision of the object, its message, and its intention. Working with environmentally neutral materials is a real challenge. I also like to find out about new eco-responsible materials made from natural, recycled, or postconsumer materials.

Because my job is, above all, to create new objects, I like to rethink these designs so that they are eco-designed.

The way objects are going to be made is, in my opinion, as important as the materials used. I also like to think about the life-cycle of my object, from its creation to its end of life. The world is covered with waste, it is important for me not to add to that, and to imagine products that respect the planet.

When I create a new product, I think about its materials, design, and also its afterlife. These are really three notions that are important for me.

At Clip, we work more and more

on eco-responsible projects. We systematically offer our customers the opportunity to reduce their waste, to choose better thought out, simpler solutions, with natural materials so that they respect the planet.

We recently worked with experts in eco-designed materials to offer an alternative to plastic when creating meal trays. We have also designed less bulky trays, with a better use scenario, allowing us to take care of the planet while also helping the flight attendants during service. We reduced the weight of the elements present onboard, which in turn reduces the carbon emissions of the aircraft.

We always think about the life-cycle of the object, whether it's recycling for tableware items, or also take-away for amenity kits.

In the future, we would like to be able to offer entirely eco-designed projects

NEXT-GEN FORUM / 47

to our customers. Even though this may have a higher cost associated with it, we continuously work on offering suitable solutions to our airline customers. We want to play our part and help convince our customers that this issue will become more and more important as passengers. They increasingly expect airlines to do more for our planet. We all must play our part and the time to act is now, to help preserve our planet for future generations. •

GET INVOLVED

ARE YOU (RELATIVELY!) NEW TO THE INDUSTRY? Have your say by joining the Next-Gen Forum. Contact april. waterston@onboardhospitality.com

onboardhospitality.com

Next Gen forum V5.indd 47

3/29/22 11:10 AM

ONBOARD FINDER

Looking for something?

Revolutionise the way you find your onboard solutions with Onboard Finder

onboardhospitality.com/finder Feature your product on Onboard Finder, contact sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com Finder Full page.indd 2

3/29/22 05:21 PM

IN CONVERSATION / 49

TECH HAS A HUGE IMPACT ON CUTTING WASTE AND GOOD MENU DEVELOPMENT Michelin-star trained chef, Sebastian Schaefer, is now embracing data analytics and retail strategy as he drives F&B excellence as Retail inMotion’s culinary lead

M

y role straddles both airline retail, with Retail inMotion, and LSG Group’s full service catering operation. It is a fascinating place to be right now because increasingly the data and feedback we receive directly through retail sales technology can be used to inform both classic catering and retail development programmes.

Demand for onboard retail is growing fast and post-pandemic the opportunities are changing in some exciting ways. Airlines are looking to onboard retail for new revenue opportunities and for these they are looking to offer a quality premium experience that passengers will happily pay for.

Increasingly retail is about fresh product and tapping into wider consumer trends to try and find partners who can create menus with

good provenance and a positive, sustainable back story. It is no longer just about ambient meals and quick snacking options.

Airline food and beverage has some very specific challenges but its beauty is that it is a way to brighten the travel experience, a way to really add value and enhance the journey time.

When culinary meets tech Technology allows us to display many more options to passengers, for preorder, but it also ensures we can adapt and develop the retail offer very quickly. We effectively get real time feedback on how something is being received onboard, whether it matches passenger demand, and we can adjust accordingly. This has a huge impact on waste management, cutting wasted

product dramatically.

These insights can also be shared with our classic catering teams to support their menu presentations.

There is a lot of cross over. The culinary team works to develop new methods to keep quality up and enhance shelf-stable products, and that can be used to support the retail offer too.

Every airline has a different attitude to its retail offer. Some are very focused on local produce and culinary concepts (such as Austrian and Swiss) others look to tap specific trends and seek collaborations with partners.

Price is always fundamental to success but being able to offer a wide variety through the technology does open the way to having something to suit all tastes and all budgets more easily. •

onboardhospitality.com

In Conversation RiM V8.indd 49

3/28/22 11:46 AM

50 / OPINION

Sustainable inclusion

People power Sinje Wojahn, head of global HR management & people development at LSG Group, explains why people are at the heart of the sustainability debate

The past years have intensified the focus on sustainability in the aviation industry, and that is an encouraging development. For me, and the LSG Group, the 'people' aspect is an integral component to our approach to sustainability, we have our focus on 'People, Planet and Prosperity.'

Naturally, some ask: “How sustainable can the aviation industry really be?” And while this is of course a valid concern, we believe we must all see this goal as a challenge. The LSG Group, like many of our customers, continues to review areas where we can year, our Sustainability & Diversity Inclusion make changes – both big and small – that team has renewed its focus on five key will have a positive impact on our planet dimensions of diversity: and those living on it. age, race, ethnicity, It is a challenge we all gender, physical ability want to tackle, and so it and sexual orientation. is important to ensure Staff retention comes Efforts are underway to we have people within naturally with an bring that culture alive our team who want to inclusive and growthwithin our organisation. share that challenge oriented culture Among initiatives, and make sustainability we organised a week’s a reality in our sector. worth of activities for International Women’s Day, beginning with Growing together a panel discussion on the theme: Break For me, this includes fostering the Bias. External experts shared success the growth of all our existing stories and learnings on the topic, and employees and removing internal experts showcased both global and barriers to ensure equal local perspectives. development opportunities We also launched #IamRemarkable, an for all. It is certainly initiative powered by Google. Through this important to attract format, we hope a diversity of employees new talent, but will be empowered to speak up and enabling personal promote themselves in ways authentic to growth ensures we them. Combined with our global diversity retain talent too. policy, these efforts deepen the discussion Retention actually and identify local initiatives that suit all comes naturally regions. As we all navigate the difficulties with an inclusive and of the past two years, this is a challenge we growth-oriented culture happily accept.• which is why over the past

onboardhospitality.com

Opinion sinje lsg V5.indd 50

3/24/22 06:19 PM

EVENTS / 51

WTCE marks its 10th year Onboard Hospitality is delighted to partner with the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) to create the Taste of Travel Theatre programme at this year's show.

Registrations are now open for WTCE, the Airline Interiors Expo (AIX) and Passenger Experience Conference (PEC) when the Hamburg Messe will once again open its doors to the inflight industry. So far 70 new suppliers are slated to exhibit at what will be the first in-person reunion for the industry since Covid-19 hit.

This year the show marks its 10-year anniversary with a new 'Onboard Icons Award' identifying the 10 most influential names in onboard hospitality sector.

Nominations are still open.

The Taste of Travel Theatre, organised in partnership with Onboard Hospitality's former editor, Jo Austin, will also be back.

Expect insightful sessions looking at sustainability, special meals, consumer

WHAT: WTCE/ AIX/ PEC WHERE: Hamburg WHEN: June 14-16 2022

CALENDAR attitudes, increasing revenue, new catering models and more.

WTCE event director Polly Magraw commented: “It has never been more important to get the industry to reconnect, rebuild and re-evaluate priorities to really accelerate recovery.” worldtravelcateringexpo.com

Rail Live

Pax focus

Rail Live brings together highlevel industry leaders, from infrastructure managers to high-speed projects, metro systems to freight carriers – all those who are driving innovation, investment and digital transformation in the global rail sector. With 250+ speakers, 100+ exhibitors, 100+ start ups, over 2000 attendees and plenty of networking, it is set to be a strong forum for debate. terrapinn.com/conference/rail-live

The World Passenger Festival is for global public transport leaders who are driving forward the strategy, tech and innovations shaping the future of sustainable transport and mobility. The show will cover such topics as sustainability, customer experience, commercial strategy, digital transformation, distribution and ticketing. terrapinn.com/ conference/passenger-festival

WHAT: Rail Live WHERE: Malaga WHEN: November 29-December 1 2022

WHAT: World Passenger Festival WHERE: Amsterdam WHEN: November 16-18 2022

MAY 17-18 Middle East Rail, UAE terrapinn.com/ exhibition/middleeast-rail ------SEPTEMBER 5-6 Speciality and Fine Food Fair, London specialityand finefoodfairs.co.uk ------OCTOBER 5-6 World Aviation Festival, Amsterdam terrapinn.com/ conference/aviationfestival ------OCTOBER 25-27 IFSA/APEX EXPO, California ifsa.apex.aero

------NOVEMBMER 9-10 FTE-APEX Asia Expo, Singapore

futuretravelexperience. com

-------

onboardhospitality.com

Eventsv3.indd 51

3/29/22 12:25 PM

52 / GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

The world view We're going global every day by going social.

Meet us in the virtual world via Twitter and Linkedin.

Here's just some of digital chat you may have missed...

Follow us for more: @OBHMagazine and Linkedin.com Earth Day action This year's Earth Day (April 22 2022) has the theme: Invest In Our Planet and calls on businesses to put their weight behind change. Private sector innovation accelerates the kind of rapid change we need for the climate like nothing else. Studies also show it makes business sense as there is a direct correlation between sustainable business practices, share prices, and business performance.

Companies with strong Environment Social Governance (ESG) standards have better profitability, stronger financials, happier employees, and more resilient stock performance.

What will you do? @earthday #InvestInOurPlanet

Only One Earth

MENA moves on

The United Nation's annual World Environment Day (June 5 2022) will be held under the theme Only One Earth. The UN’s flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment, this event has become the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.

Hosted by Sweden for 2022 the day will highlight the need to live sustainably in harmony with nature by bringing transformative changes – through policies and our choices – towards cleaner, greener lifestyles. @UNEP #OnlyOneEarth

The first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week was held in Dubai (March 28-31) positioned as a major climate action event for the MENA region.

It provided a platform for governments, cities, private sector leaders, financial institutions and civil society to discuss opportunities to build forward from the pandemic by identifying opportunities to enhance climate action.

The event brought together key stakeholders to take the pulse of climate action in the region, explore climate challenges and opportunities, and showcase ambitious solutions. #MENAClimateWeek

Eyes on the prize Five, one million-pound prizes are to be awarded each year for the next 10 years, providing at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems by 2030. The Earthshot Prize launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation last year - is designed to drive a decade of action around the environment to maximise impact and take solutions to scale. It celebrates the people and places driving change; and aims to bring hope and inspire people all over the world to work together to repair the planet. @EarthshotPrize

onboardhospitality.com

Global Perspective OBH89 V4.indd 52

3/29/22 05:37 PM

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE / 53

Circle back Wise up to the ways that a circular economy can help save the planet and take us all towards net zero.

Leader in this field is the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, offers a raft of insights and inspiration to help you understand the issues and create pathways to circularity within your business and lifestyle. Renewable energy is only half the story. A circular economy is a way to make and produce materials, products, and food, that brings resilience to a netzero world. @circulareconomy ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

Vegan gains Agriculture generates 30-40% of all greenhouse gas emissions and creates other problems such as deforestation, poor soil health and high-water usage, so thinking twice about ingredient sourcing makes sense. In the UK, the annual Veganuary initiative saw 500,000 people try a vegan diet in January 2022 and 825 new vegan products and menu options were launched. 19% said they did it for climate change and environmental reasons, while 44% did it to help protect animals and 21% for health reasons. Food for thought. @#Veganuary2022

SAF takes flight According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can reduce emissions by 80% over its full lifecycle. 100 million litres of SAF was produced in 2021 and around 14 billion litres of SAF is involved in forward buying agreements with airlines to date. More than 45 airlines have experience of SAF and over 370,000 flights have taken to the skies using SAF since 2016. Momentum is building and new pathways to SAF are being formed. @IATA

Who cares wins The growing prominence of ESGs (Environmental, Social, Governance considerations) in investor strategies, coupled with new policies such as the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, is helping cement ESG thinking as a mainstream business concept influencing investment returns and corporate strategy. If you don't know what they are or don't have them integrated into your business culture, it's time to wise up and change. #ESG

onboardhospitality.com

Global Perspective OBH89 V4.indd 53

3/29/22 05:37 PM

A world of inspiration to enhance the onboard experience Taste, feel, touch and try new products and services from

250+ global suppliers.

14 -16 JUNE 2022

HAMBURG, GERMANY

Co-located with:

In association with:

Organised by:

REGISTER TO ATTEND Visit us at: worldtravelcateringexpo.com/OBH2

Untitled-1 1

22/03/2022 10:55 3/28/22 12:33 PM