ANA 1st Japanese airline to use plastic-free meal trays

25 / 04 / 2021

By Marwa Nassar - -

All Nippon Airways (ANA) – Japan’s largest and 5-Star airline for eight consecutive years – will become the first Japanese airline to introduce plastic-free meal trays.

The trays will be made from biodegradable materials.

Composed of bagasse – the waste fiber created from pressing sugarcane – these biodegradable trays will further reduce ANA’s carbon footprint.

This is the latest in a long line of sustainability initiatives from ANA, as it works to meet the ambitious targets outlined in its 2050 sustainability goals.

The new meal trays will be introduced beginning in August 2021 for economy class meals on international flights.

By simply replacing the plastic meal trays, the amount of disposable plastic used by ANA for inflight services will be reduced by about 30 percent, an amount that was equal to 317 tons during fiscal 2019.

“At ANA, we view sustainability as critical to our mission and we are constantly searching for ways to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Chikako Miyata, Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Sustainability.

“We will keep making efforts to improve sustainability and create a better planet. We will continue to consider innovative technologies that allow us to operate safely, efficiently and effectively as we serve the needs of customers worldwide.”

In 2020, ANA introduced plastic-free cutlery and straws, reducing the amount of plastic used by 25 tons compared to the previous year. The reduced use of plastic is central to ANA’s 2050 ESG initiatives and the airline will continue exploring areas where it can reduce consumption and waste.

ANA is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and has been recognized by Dow Jones and S&P for continued leadership in sustainability.