The airline started using BioNatur Plastic products in early 2022 at major US hubs, cutting waste by the equivalent of 6.4 million water bottles in the first year.
In 2023, the biodegradable products were rolled out in domestic stations including Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Honolulu International Airport and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, and internationally at Carrasco International Airport and Santiago International Airport.
Waste in 2023 was cut by the equivalent of 8.6 million water bottles.
Greg Schwendinger, President of American Airlines Cargo, says, “Sustainability is of paramount importance for us at American, and we are so pleased that our transition to BioNatur Plastics is one way we can implement real change in our cargo operations.”
American Airlines plans to replace traditional plastic used for stretch wrap and pallet covers from BioNatur Plastic, which are manufactured with a 1% load of an organic, food-safe additive that allows anaerobic bacteria to digest the plastic in landfill.
BioNatur biodegradable plastics will biodegrade under landfill conditions in 8 to 12 years and the end products are fully recyclable in normal waste collection streams.