Does the Airline Industry Recycle?
by Kara DiCamillo, Newport, Rhode Island on 06.20.07
Last week, Sami took a close look at the airline industry and wrote about how they are aiming for zero emissions. In May, Warren covered Nature Air, a little fleet of seven planes that were working on alternative aviation fuels. We of course think this is great news here at TreeHugger but a recent blurb came out in Body + Soul magazine that we found to be, well, interesting.
“Did you know? A new study from the Natural Resources Defense Council reports that the United States airline industry throws away enough aluminum cans each year to build 58 new 747s.”
So let us get this straight…the airline industry is taking steps to cut their emissions yet at the same time can’t recycle? We've seen them toss our cans in a trash bag as they collected our empty pretzel bags, but thought they'd maybe sort them at the end of the flight. Photo above (Boeing 747) courtesy of ::Boeing Study via ::Body + Soul
Yes, the US Post Office doesn't recycle either according to my local office. Many large and superlarge corporate and government organizations do not recycle. Many cities also are very lax about water use and other environmental issues when it comes to "employers". For example, the semi-conductor industry uses HUGE quantities of water to create all those toxic computer chips - yet they get a discounted water rate.
Seems that the larger you are (financially) the less you are expected to do. No wonder we're in the state we're in.
Twenty coke cans equals a pound of aluminum, and it takes a huge amount of energy to smelt aluminum. If electricity costs continue to rise, deposits will definitely go up in price and waste will fall. Of course, soft drink industries are aggressively promoting plastic bottles.
What people should do is find a use for the 20-30 square inches of perfect aluminum sheet that result from chopping the ends off a can. That sheet could be used as the substrate for a primitive photovoltaic cell, because any thin sheet of pure metal with an oxidized top surface will generate a mild electric current when exposed to light.
it's semantics, but one might note that aluminum cans are already made from planes*, and that you couldn't use recycled aluminum in airplane parts. It wouldn't be safe.
*That's where all the chips go after they mill parts from solid virgin AL blocks.
Southwest Airlines recycles all of their aluminum cans. The money acquired is then placed in an account that is used to help employees that have suffered some personal disaster. After Hurricane Katrina, many employees devastated in Louisiana were given money from the account to help restart their lives. I believe other airlines should follow Southwest's lead.
Did anyone really expect more out of Large Aviation? Airlines contribute to a large share of air pollution, burning of fossile fuels, and higher ticket prices each time you fly. And you want them to recycle coke cans? Come on now. With all the government tax breaks those guys get, I think the government should force them to be as eco-friendly as possible.
I go to Wood River High School, and in my class we are trying to get Airlines and Airports to recycle. We have just begun our research and campaign for the idea but we are looking for information and possible places that we could contact about recycling. If any of you have any ideas, we are all ears. Thanks!
I second Omari Washington's comment.
Go to http://theGreenTax.com to read more on this topic, specifically the article at http://thegreentax.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/southwest-recycles/
Acknowledge, or over acknowledge it when corporations do show effort. Reward the positive. Lead with honey. Vote with your wallet. Speak your voice.
Thanks.