Conscious use of resources

When it comes to the resources we use, we care about every stage of the journey. From how raw materials are produced, to how we recycle waste products, we are constantly improving our operations and procedures.

Rethinking the use of plastic

Plastic is versatile, cost-effective and light, which is useful for the aviation industry because the reduction of in-flight weight leads to less fuel use and carbon emissions. However, plastics take a long time to degrade and are clearly harmful to the environment if treated irresponsibly. 

That’s why we’re committed to decreasing the amount of plastic waste we generate. Watch the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at the sustainable changes we’ve made on board, and explore our YouTube playlist to stay up-to-date on our journey towards a greener future. 

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We adopt the 4R approach to plastic:

An illustration of a light bulb containing a small green plant with two leaves, symbolising eco-friendly or sustainable energy.

Rethink

how we use plastics

An illustration of a green downward-pointing arrow with two plastic bottles and two aluminum cans floating above it, representing recyclable materials.

Reduce

plastic consumption

An illustration of a horizontally cut plastic bottle used as a planter, filled with soil and two sprouting green plants.

Reuse

items where possible

A teal recycling symbol made of three arrows forming a triangle, representing the recycling process, set against a light background with a subtle shadow.

Recycle

used plastic into new items

Moving forward in the single-use plastics reduction journey

A circular diagram labeled "SUP Targets" at the center, with three connected sections: a leaf and plastic bottle icon at the top, a recycling symbol with arrows around a bottle at the bottom left, and a recycling symbol with "PET" inside at the bottom right.

Since 2001, we have been on a journey to reduce single-use plastics (SUP). In recent years, we have made significant progress by eliminating many of our highest-consumption SUP items, such as cups, cutlery and salad bowl lids used in our Economy cabin. Continuing on this path, we have set ambitious targets for 2025. To address the impacts of the remaining passenger-facing SUP items more holistically, we have established a set of targets that consider not only their use phase but also their sourcing and disposal, aiming to mitigate both upstream and downstream impacts.​

USE
Reduce passenger-facing SUP items from an average of 7.7 pieces per passenger in 2019 to 1.5 pieces by 2025*.

Dispose
Increase the inflight recycling rate of water bottles to 33%.

Source
Ensure 50% of the remaining passenger-facing SUP items are made from recycled plastics.

* Onboard Cathay Pacific flights only. These items include passenger facing SUP water bottles, utensils, amenity items and packaging, excluding SUP items for medical and sanitation purposes and prepackaged food and beverage items other than water bottles.

Recent highlights include:​

  • Introduced a first-of-its-kind recycling and sorting workflow for water bottles at Hong Kong International Airport.
  • Switched all water bottles loaded from Hong Kong to bottles made with 100% recycled plastic.
  • Transitioned to wooden ice cream spoons across all flights.​
  • Launched feasibility trials to replace plastic wrapping for blankets and headsets with paper alternatives.​
  • Phased out SUP beverage cups, formerly our most numerous plastic items, and replacing them with certified Flustix paper cups that are compliant to EU SUP legislation.​
  • Replaced single-use salad bowl lids with reusable lids.​
  • Replaced economy class reusable plastic cutlery with lightweight metal cutlery.

Top-down view of a Business cabin seat upholstered in dark teal fabric, featuring a white pillow and blanket, with armrests and surrounding light-colored walls with storage compartments and control panels.

Reducing cabin waste

As part of our long-term waste management commitment, we aim to reduce cabin waste to 0.63 kg per passenger by 2030, representing a 30% reduction from 2019 baseline.

To get there, we are innovating how we operate and the materials we use across everything we do. We strive to personalise our customers’ experiences to create better journeys with less waste.

A female passenger sleeping on her side in a bed with white sheets and a white comforter, wearing a brown sweater, in a Business cabin seat.

Responsible sourcing

We take sustainable sourcing seriously. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure we are always working to increase our use of sustainable materials, regenerated waste materials and recycled products.

Reducing food waste

We strive to provide top quality meals to our passengers and customers. At the same time, we aim to manage this process in a way that supports local producers and minimises waste and carbon footprints.
An illustration of a stopwatch with an orange segment, flanked by a fork on the left and a knife on the right, symbolising time management for meals or intermittent fasting.

Last-minute meals

Meals are delivered as close to departure as possible to minimise waste.

An illustration of a person with long hair wearing a blue shirt, standing and using a laptop, with a speech bubble showing a bowl of vegetables.

Digital planning

We’ve introduced Choose My Meal to digitally manage meal choices.

An illustration of a truck transporting three large bowls stacked on its flatbed, each filled with vegetables such as carrots and leafy greens.

Hong Kong charities

We redistribute surplus food through Feeding Hong Kong and Food Angel. In 2024, we donated 336 tonnes of surplus food to those in need.

Illustration of three industrial tanks connected by pipes, representing the conversion process in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production.

Harnessing surplus power

Inconsumable food waste is sent for food recovery.

An illustration of a bus being refueled through a funnel filled with used food processing oil bottles.

Food to fuel

We turn our used food processing oil into vehicle biofuel.

Sustainable inflight dining

Beyond rethinking inflight utensils and packaging, we're also committed to providing a more sustainable culinary experience for our customers. That’s why we’ve partnered with Hong Kong’s leading vegetarian restaurant, Veda, to create delicious plant-based meals that are good for you and the planet. Here’s a look at what’s on the menu. 
A metal tag with an illustration of an airplane and "BOEING 777-200" hangs on a wire loop against a white and blue background.

Retired aircraft

At the end of the service of our aircraft, we work with aircraft manufacturers and companies specialising in end-of-life solutions in order to salvage spare parts and recycle or reuse aircraft parts and materials. In 2021, we launched special memorabilia upcycled our beloved aircraft, including aviation tags and pen and cardholder sets created for our 75th anniversary.

Sustainable considerations in the cabin

A bento box divided into three sections. The top section includes a bottle of water, an empty cup, and a notebook. The middle section contains cereal in one compartment and tomatoes with seaweed in another. The bottom section features fish and shrimp with

1. Certified Flustix paper cups that are compliant to EU SUP legislation.​

2. All water bottles loaded from Hong Kong are made with 100% recycled plastic.​

3. Snacks produced using certified sustainable palm oil to help minimise environmental impact.​

4. Certified sustainable seafood in inflight meals.

6. Lightweight metal cutlery and reusable plastic cutlery across economy class cabins.​

Side view of an aircraft seat with three windows in the background. The seat’s tray table is extended, holding a cup and a small plate. A green circle labeled with the number "5" points to the tray table.

5. Napkins sustainably produced from sugarcane and wood pulp.

Side view of two airplane seats with three windows in the background. The left seat is labeled "7"and the right seat is labeled "8". A briefcase is placed under the left seat, marked with the number "12".

7. Recyclable paper snack bags.​

8. Economy class blankets made from recycled plastic bottles.​

12. Wooden ice-cream spoons to replace plastic ones.​

An illustration of an airplane cabin with two reclined seats labeled "9" and "10", forming a flatbed. Seat 10 has a pillow, and a blanket is draped over the edge of seat 9. Stylized airplane windows are visible in the background.

9. Pillowcases and duvet covers in First Class and Business made from 100 per cent sustainable cotton.​

10. Reusable Business class duvet and blanket packaging.​

11. Carpets in Business and Economy Class cabins of some aircraft are made from regenerated nylon waste materials such as discarded fishing nets.​

News and case studies