Page 32 - Plastics News September 2022

Lufthansa Cargo Is World's First Cargo Airline To Use Sustainable Plastic Film For
Transportation

desired cycle, also called "closed loop" in
sustainability management.
"The development of a sustainable plas-
tic film is a long-term task on which we
have worked intensively with Lufthansa
Cargo. Together, we have developed re-
quirements for the new film, tested it in
operation, and can now introduce it as
a standard product worldwide at Luf-
thansa Cargo," explains Peter Griebel,
Managing Director of Verpa Folie Wei-
dhausen GmbH. "Now we have set our-
selves the goal of successively increasing
the recycled content of our plastic film to
ach year, Lufthansa Cargo needs focus on the topic of plastics. "We are 30 percent by 2025."
Eabout 500 tons of plastic film world- particularly pleased to be the first cargo Lufthansa Cargo has also established
wide to protect its freight during trans- airline to be able to use a more environ- multiple uses of plastic film as a standard
port. As part of its sustainability strategy, mentally friendly film in the transport of handling process since March 2022. This
the company has been working for many our freight after many tests at selected step will also gradually contribute to re-
years to reduce the need for plastic and stations and good cooperation with our ducing overall consumption. The airline
to establish the most environmentally specialist departments, our waste dis- is also focusing on the collection and
friendly handling possible at its approxi- posal company, and our film producer. disposal of end-of-life materials: World-
mately 300 stations around the globe. This brings us a step closer to our goal of wide, a review of how plastic film is col-
Starting in mid-September, Lufthansa using our plastic film in a circular way." lected and disposed of has been carried
Cargo will be the first cargo airline to use The goal is a closed-loop use of the recy- out in recent months, and - where nec-
a new type of film that consists of ten clable material plasticLufthansa Cargo essary - agreements have been adapted
percent recycled plastic and is also one is pursuing a comprehensively conceived with local disposal companies to ensure
micrometer (one µ) thinner previous plastics strategy based on the idea of that as much of the recyclable plastic
films. This means that about two kilo- using recyclable material according to material as possible is collected and dis-
grams less film is needed on each cargo the closed-loop principle. For example, posed of properly - and does not end up
flight. Lufthansa Cargo is working together in the environment.
"Plastic waste has become a major prob- with its local waste disposal company Further improvements in handling the
lem for the environment worldwide. We and film manufacturer Verpa Folie Wei- plastic film are in progressAt the end
are therefore particularly concerned to dhausen GmbH in Germany to collect of the year, further optimization of the
reduce our need for plastic and to use the approximately 400 tons of used film films is on the agenda: In the future,
it in a way that conserves resources. In per year in Frankfurt that is no longer Lufthansa Cargo wants to use films from
our sustainability strategy, we follow the needed after a transport, to have it pro- the manufacturer Verpa that contain re-
guiding principle 'Every Action Counts'. cessed into granulate, and to have it in- cycled content on the one hand and are
Every step we can take to make airfreight corporated into the new film as a recy- also biodegradable on the other. What
logistics more sustainable is important to cling component. Numerous tests have is special about this is that, despite the
us - in the air as well as on the ground," taken place in the past, both in handling recycled content, these films will also
says Dorothea von Boxberg, Chief Ex- at Lufthansa Cargo and at the disposal be recyclable together with other films
ecutive Officer of Lufthansa Cargo AG, company and film manufacturer, in or- without restriction.
explaining her motive behind the intense der to come closer in small steps to the

32 PLASTICS NEWS September 2022 33 PLASTICS NEWS September 2022