Ecoefficiency in aviation catering waste management through Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing

Despite the initial decline in passenger numbers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in air travel volumes was observed between 2021 and 2022. The aviation sector has shown continued growth in recent years. An increase in the number of passengers and the consumption of food and drinks during flights results in a rise in waste generation. Aviation is continually seeking solutions to minimize its environmental footprint. Implementing a more effective waste management system could be one such solution. The study conducted as part of the LIFE Zero Cabin Waste Project proposes the implementation of separate waste collection on airplanes. This initiative aims to increase the amount of recyclable waste diverted from landfills by introducing a selective on-board waste collection, complemented by bio-digestion processes. By employing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies, the study compares not only the environmental but also the economic performance of the current waste management system in 2016 (System A) with the proposed system throughout the project (System B) for treating 1,000 kg of aviation catering waste. The findings indicate that implementing the new management system would lead to reductions in various environmental impact categories, including fossil resource depletion, and global warming. In particular, the carbon footprint of the alternative management system is reduced by 85%. This operational change requires an initial investment that raises operational costs by 5%. Nevertheless, System B's eco-efficiency surpasses System A's for most environmental categories. For instance, the eco-efficiency regarding Global Warming Potential increases by 84%.