With your help in 2007, Delta became the first US airline to launch a comprehensive recycling program. Since that time, we have saved roughly 192 trees, recycled more than 16 tons of newsprint, and recycled enough aluminum cans to build a Boeing 747!
In 2008, we’ve been expanding our on board recycling and implementing even more great programs. Take a look:
We’ve expanded our In-Flight Recycling Program
To date we’ve implemented recycling programs in over a dozen cities including Cleveland, Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Orlando, Portland, Salt Lake City and Seattle, and will continue to expand throughout the year.
We’ve added a dedicated Employee Recycling Center (ERC)
The ERC is located at our World Headquarters in Atlanta and is currently open each Friday, giving employees the opportunity to recycle their materials from home. Our “Green Team” collects and manages mixed paper (cardboard, paperboard, junk-mail, magazines/newspapers and phone books), plastics #1 and #2 and tin/aluminum cans. In just the first four months, the ERC has recycled 37 tons of material (predominantly mixed paper).
We’ve added an Aircraft Carpet Recycling Program
A bonus to implementing the In-Flight Recycling program was greater visibility into the types of trash we generate. One of the more interesting materials was carpet. It turns out that Delta purchases a significant amount of carpet each year to install on board our aircraft. In partnership with Mohawk Aviation Carpet, Delta has implemented a permanent aircraft carpet recovery program. Worn out aircraft carpet is no longer destined for the landfill! Our first shipment went to Mohawk’s recycling/reclamation facility last week. I’ll keep you posted on how things went.
We’ve added an Office Paper Recycling Program
On February 11th of this year we implemented an office paper recycling program at our World Headquarters. Office paper collected from desk-side containers, by our Green Team, is now transported to a designated compactor located at the ERC. In designing the ERC we considered how best to capture work AND home recyclables.
We also have Delta offices across the country who have been recycling office materials (paper/cans/bottles) for quite some time. I’ll share their recycling success stories next time!
Want to help in our green efforts? Share your suggestions below, help us recycle in-flight and find a recycling center near you!
Jennifer O.
Project Manager
Environmental Health
March 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Excellent program, very impressive. Wish all airlines took the time and effort to do this type of program. Great job!!!!
March 20th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
[...] initiative in their articles, In-flight Recycling: Rethinking Trash” and recent March article “Recycling Beyond their Aircraft Doors” on how they have expanded this program to include aircraft carpet and office paper [...]
March 26th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Excellent program - you guys are doing a great job with all the new programs. It is reasons like this I wish Delta was my companies corporate carrier, but unfortunately, it’s not.
Keep up the great work saving even more trees!
May 1st, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I know I’m a little late to reply, but I just wanted to give my kudos for Delta for implementing this comprehensive recycling system. They really should have started doing this 10 or 15 years ago, but any effort is appreciated.
I flew cross-country on a competing airline last weekend and was struck for the first time by the waste that we created – aluminum cans, napkins, and plastic cups all tumbled into the garbage bags. You multiply that by thousands of flights every day, and that is a huge, preventable footprint. I arrived at my destination ranting and raving, trying to figure out the best way to address my complaint. And then on the flight home, the flight attendant announced that she was collecting recyclable waste. It was like she’d read my mind, and I was thrilled to see it. But this program was like Delta’s – only on selected flights. Why? There’s no excuse to not be doing this on all flights and at all airports as soon as physically possible. The recycling infrastructure has existed for decades, your customers have all been recycling at home for years, and they are more than prepared to recycle on airplanes as well. The environmental, goodwill, and green marketing benefits will far outweigh the costs of collecting two separate bags of waste and sending one to the recycling facility.
That said, thanks again for the new recycling programs – please expand them as quickly as possible to the rest of your flights! I’m looking forward to recycling on my next Delta flight!
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Great initiative. I have a couple of questions though,…. While recycling is absolutely necessary, what are you doing to avoid some of the garbage ? I am sitting in your Crown Room in ORD, and much to my surprise right next to the china coffe mugs there are also styrofoam cups. Is there a specific reason why you have to offer styrofoam cups in the lounge ? Is there also no other option to avoid the little plastic plates and tiny plastic cups ? At least in ORD you have the big water bottles and real glass to drink out of and you don’t offer the small water bottles and soda cans like in some of your other lounges. Again, great that you started to recycle, but maybe you should think about some initiatives to avoid and / or reduce some of your materials you have to recycle.