In a move that underscores the importance of sustainability, British Airways have partnered with renewable fuel company Velocys to turn household waste into jet fuel. The partnership is part of the airline’s move to reduce net emissions by 50% by 2050.
The plan involves using thousands of tonnes of waste each year, including plastic containers, lolly wrappers and nappies, to create clean, sustainable fuel. Not only will the move significantly reduce the airline industry’s carbon emissions, it will also decrease the extreme amount of waste ending up in landfill, which releases greenhouse gases that damage the environment. The biofuel produced at the partnership’s plant will result is a 60% reduction of these harmful greenhouse gases.
The intended plant will be the biggest of its kind, creating enough biofuel to power flights from London to California and New Orleans. International Airlines Group (IAG) chief executive Willie Walsh commends the initiative. “Sustainable fuels will play an increasingly critical role in global aviation, and we are preparing for that future,” he says. “Turning household waste into jet fuel is an amazing innovation that produces clean fuel while reducing landfill.”
Over the next decade, British Airways hopes to increase the volume of biofuel to supply the majority of its fleet.
