Cathay Cargo to use sustainable cargo covers at HKG

Cathay Cargo will begin rolling out cargo covers made in part with recycled plastic this month at its cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport . After experimenting with the product in 2023, the carrier determined the covers, which contain 50% recycled material, cost as much as previous covers while being more sustainable, a Cathay Cargo spokesperson told Air Cargo Next . [caption id="attachment_57141795" align="alignright" width="389"] (Courtesy/Cathay Cargo)[/caption] “ We introduced plastic sheets at our terminal in 2017 with sheets with 30% recycled content,” the spokesperson said. “As we set out to achieve our ambition to be a sustainability leader amongst air cargo terminal operators, we challenged ourselves last year to see how much we could improve the content of recycled plastic in our new cargo cover sheets to further improve circularity.” Cathay Cargo used 340,000 cargo covers made from materials supplied by a local vendor during the trial. The airline declined to disclose the price per cover or name the supplier. The adoption of recycled plastic covers aids Cathay Pacific’s Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel Program, according to a Jan. 15 release from the company. The program was launched in 2022 to promote sustainability targets to reach net zero by 2050, a goal in line with a 2021 IATA initiative. Finding a formula “From a life-cycle perspective, we do not need as much virgin plastic from fossil fuel, we only need 50% of them,” the spokesperson said. Replacing 50% virgin plastic with resin from recycled plastic sheets, uses less material, according to Cathay Cargo. “While the plastic sheet is single use, when we recycle it and re-purpose [it] to something a terminal would need in operation, we think this is the best way to close a loop and make the product useful again,” the spokesperson said. “The material lifetime can be prolonged.” While using 100% recycled plastic would be ideal from a sustainability standpoint, it is not feasible at this time, according to Cathay Cargo. Recycled cargo sheet quality can vary widely because source plastics come from many suppliers and countries, the spokesperson said. The quality of the recycled resin generated from a recycled plastic cargo sheet is not always consistent. Cathay determined through numerous testing phases that 50% recycled material would yield sustainability benefits and be sufficiently sturdy, considering weather and other conditions that cargo covers endure, the spokesperson said. “ The circular economy is an important concept to reduce waste and prolong product life cycles,” Cathay Subsidiaries Head of Sustainable Development Michelle Fok said in a Feb. 26 release. “ Our cargo terminal has implemented circularity in cargo plastic sheets since 2017 and is already recycling 100% of plastic sheets from import cargo shipments.” Sustainable strategy While carriers continue to search for ways to decarbonize the aviation industry, it is widely accepted that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon removal are the two main pieces of the puzzle, Julio Friedmann , chief scientist at sustainable research organization Carbon Direct , previously told Air Cargo Next . Aviation accounts for 2% to 3% of global carbon emissions, according to IATA. It would take 450 billion liters of SAF to reach net-zero targets by 2050, TIACA Director General Glyn Hughes , previously told Air Cargo Next . In 2023, global SAF production reached 600 million liters . “The aviation sector is the hardest of all sectors to decarbonize. This has been known for a long time,” Friedmann said. “Yeah, there are some efficiencies that we will continue to get through engine and aircraft design and logistical management. But most people believe those gains will be small. “So, the primary ways to decarbonize planes are sustainable aviation fuels and CO2 removal. That’s the menu,” he said. “For CO2 removal, most airlines have already learned that the cheap, easy stuff doesn’t deliver.” Register here for Air Cargo Next ’s free webinar, “The Role of Drones in the Future of Air Cargo,” on Tuesday, March 26, at 11 a.m. ET .

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