Food waste management taking off? Exploring prevention and treatment strategies of food waste in the airline industry: A case study on SAS

Abstract: Airlines face significant challenges when it comes to sustainability. Globally, the airline industry is responsible for 2% of global emissions and, unfortunately, this number is only increasing (Air New Zealand, 2018). This makes aviation a key actor when attempting to meet the targets published by the IPCC of keeping the global average temperatures below 2°C of pre-industrial levels (IPCC, 2014). Without the potential for an electric airplane in the near future, the challenge for the airline industry is finding ways to be more sustainable despite such a carbon-intensive industry, primarily due to aviation fuel. Food waste in the airline industry remains a largely unexplored topic despite the airline industry calling for a pivot to more sustainable behaviours, in part because the industry has been historically slow to incorporate more sustainable tactics. This thesis, therefore, outlines the current barriers facing the airline industry when it comes to food waste management prevention and treatment strategies by using a case study approach. The selected case study of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) gives insight into where food is most often can be wasted along the production chain, why this occurs, as well as how stakeholders are involved and interact along this supply chain. To answer the research questions, an in-depth literature review was conducted consisting of policy documents, sustainability reports, research studies, and stakeholder websites, supported by 15 semi-structured interviews, which were used to inform and analyse the data. The evaluation of strategies used by SAS for prevention and treatment options were evaluated based on a framework constructed from components and recommendations from ISO 14001, FUSIONS, IEnvA, Food Loss and Waste Protocol, Zero Cabin Waste and Sustainable Aviation. These were chosen as they outlined the crucial elements for a successful and wholistic airline waste management system. The findings revealed that although SAS is ahead of its competitors when it comes to prevention, there are still techniques that can be implemented to improve its strategy in regard to the treatment options. Information from competitors was also compiled to provide comparisons and inspiration. The work concludes with recommendations of continuing innovation, appointing a waste management leader, increasing communication and improving industry collaboration. SAS has the chance to save more food from becoming waste, while simultaneously saving money and improving their brand.