United and US Airways flunk, who gets the best grade?
Washington, D.C., February 18, 2010: It’s a fact, US airlines in general produce over 880 million of tons of waste annually, 75 percent of which could be recycled, but only 20 percent of which is. Consumers are therefore urged to factor recycling policies Into their air travel decisions. The fact is, Delta, Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Southwest are doing the best job, according to the new report “What Goes Up Must Go Down: The Sorry State of Recycling in the Airline Industry” from Green America’s consumer watchdog Web site. The report also shows that United and US Airways are doing the worst job when it comes to recycling. Overall, airlines could recycle nearly 500 million more tons of waste each year (including 250 million tons of in-flight waste). While airlines acknowledge the importance of recycling waste, no one airline recycles all the major recyclables: aluminum cans, glass, plastic, and paper. And no airline has a comprehensive program for minimizing or composting food
