Starting in mid-September, Lufthansa Cargo will be the first cargo airline to use a new type of film that consists of ten per cent recycled plastic and is also one micrometer (one µ) thinner than previous films. This means that about two kilograms less film is needed on each cargo flight.
Dorothea von Boxberg, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Cargo AG, explaining her motive behind the intense focus on the topic of plastics. said: "Plastic waste has become a major problem for the environment worldwide.
"We are therefore particularly concerned to reduce our need for plastic and to use it in a way that conserves resources. In our sustainability strategy, we follow the guiding principle 'Every Action Counts'.
"Every step we can take to make airfreight logistics more sustainable is important to us - in the air as well as on the ground.
"We are particularly pleased to be the first cargo airline to be able to use a more environmentally friendly film in the transport of our freight after many tests at selected stations and good cooperation with our specialist departments, our waste disposal company and our film producer."
The goal is a closed-loop use of the recyclable material plastic
Lufthansa Cargo is pursuing a comprehensively conceived plastics strategy based on the idea of using the recyclable material according to the closed-loop principle.
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For example, Lufthansa Cargo is working together with its local waste disposal company and film manufacturer Verpa Folie Weidhausen GmbH in Germany to collect the approximately 400 tonnes of used film per year in Frankfurt that is no longer needed after a transport, to have it processed into granulate, and to have it incorporated into new film as a recycling component.
Numerous tests have taken place in the past, both in handling at Lufthansa Cargo and at the disposal company and film manufacturer, in order to come closer in small steps to the desired cycle, also called "closed loop" in sustainability management.
Peter Griebel, Managing Director of Verpa Folie Weidhausen GmbH explains: ."The development of a sustainable plastic film is a long-term task on which we have worked intensively with Lufthansa Cargo.
"Together, we have developed requirements for the new film, tested it in operation and can now introduce it as a standard product worldwide at Lufthansa Cargo."
Lufthansa Cargo has also established multiple use of plastic film as a standard handling process since March 2022. This step will also gradually contribute to reducing overall consumption.
At the end of the year, further optimization of the films is on the agenda: In the future, Lufthansa Cargo wants to use films from the manufacturer Verpa that contain a recycled content on the one hand and are also biodegradable on the other.
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