As an airline that flies aircraft, we have a wide variety of waste items that come out of our activities. These include cans and bottles used for drinks on board the aircraft, newspapers that are read on board, in-flight magazines, and polyethylene sheets used for air cargo packaging, etc. We try as much as possible to not just throw these things away as garbage, but to recycle them.
Cabin crews on international arrivals at Narita and Kansai Airports separate aluminum cans and newspapers and send them to recycling companies. Also, the monthly in-flight magazine is replaced at the end of every month. These in-flight magazines, which amount to 250 tons per year, are all recycled and converted to toilet paper, resulting in about 1.2 million rolls.
Polyethylene sheets used for water and dust proofing of air cargo are sent to recycling companies at Narita, Kansai, Nagoya and Haneda Airports. After being taken over by professionals, they are recycled into wheel stoppers and garden supplies etc. The uniforms of flight and cabin crews and ground staff are also recycled, as well as automobile soundproofing and thermal insulation, and precious metals such as titanium and nickel that come out of plants when aircraft are repaired, are separated and dissolved, and raw materials such as stainless steel are used in various applications. For a large passenger aircraft, tires are worn out after 100-170 take-offs and landings, and then they are retreaded and used over again.