When it comes to airline meals, they are often a plastic extravaganza. Each individual item on your tray comes packaged in it, the food sits in trays made out of it and even your cutlery is formed from it.
Plastic is the scourge of the 21st century and what it is doing to the oceans is terrible. It breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastic, where it is then ingested by fish and other sea life.
The EU Single-Use Plastics Ban
By a vote of 571-53, the European Parliament has voted to ban single-use cutlery, plates, cotton buds, straws and stirrers from 2021. These make up around 70% of marine litter, according to an article published by BBC News.
What About The Airlines Plastic?
Economy class passengers often receive a tray full of plastic packaged items. From the cutlery to various wrapping for the biscuits, salad containers – you name it and you’re likely to see it.
This ban should mean that people travelling from Europe will see a change to the service. Perhaps wooden alternatives will be used, as these are lighter than their stainless steel counterparts.
Hundreds of plastic lids are used on flights to cover salads and desserts. Maybe it’s time to plate from the trolley again and save all of this waste. Either way, there will be changes and hopefully they will be for the better.
Overall Thoughts
Movement towards a world with as little plastic as possible is a good thing. That being said, there are other places in the world where pollution is a bigger problem than in Europe. The real challenge is getting modern waste disposal methods and standards applied globally.
What do you think of the EU ban? Will it make airlines bring back the metal cutlery down the back? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image via London Heathrow Airport.
Edible Cutlery is the way to go for travel industry as well. Cost of production is cheaper than plastic cutlery, check it out;
This is fantastic, thanks for sharing that! Now this would be epic 🙂
In Japan there is a takoyaki chain called “Gindako”, They use bamboo dishes for their street food, and it works rather well. Besides, bamboo is easily composted and grows quickly too. So technology certainly exists.
If you do a google image search for “takoyaki gindaco” you will see what I mean.
https://www.google.com/search?q=takoyaki+gindaco&source=lnms&tbm=isch
Yes, when I was researching the article people, I found bamboo cutlery. I think it’s a good idea! Bamboo can be a pest though, but I’m sure it could be managed. I imagine plastic is just cheaper to produce and you know human nature, cheaper, cheaper, cheaper. Thanks for the link – great pics and really illustrated the point!
Plastic waste is a major problem and seems to be getting only worse. There really needs to be more of a global effort made and standard introduced further cutting back on our reliance and use of plastics that quickly become waste after initial use or even end up becoming part of the food chain in parts.
I completely agree with you. Perhaps we should go back to the past, where you bought all your things from a small local shop who took them from glass jars and refilled your permanent container. It will take such a complete shift in mindset, and as with anything like this, it probably won’t happen until it’s red alert time which is annoying. Thanks for the comment!