9 Compostable Items for Airline Catering

Commercial aviation generates roughly 6 million tons of catering and cabin waste annually, according to estimates by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Most of it is single-use disposable items — meal trays, cups, cutlery, snack packaging, food wrappers — that go from kitchen to galley to seatback to trash bag to landfill or incineration in a matter of hours. Per-passenger waste runs about 1.4 kilograms on long-haul flights.

The waste-reduction opportunity is obvious, but the operational constraints are unusual. Airline catering has to meet weight limits (every pound on board costs fuel), space limits (galley storage is tight), regulatory requirements (international biosecurity rules complicate how catering waste is handled), and temperature management requirements (hot meal trays through reheating cycles, cold meals through cold-chain logistics). Compostable alternatives have to work within all of these.

Nine specific items where airline catering is realistically adopting compostable alternatives in 2025, plus what’s still holding back broader rollout.

1. Bagasse meal trays

The conventional plastic meal tray — typically polypropylene or polystyrene — is heavy, breaks easily, and ends up in landfill after one use. Bagasse (sugarcane fiber) meal trays in airline-spec versions offer a compostable alternative that’s been adopted by several international airlines for short-haul and some long-haul service.

Spec requirements for airline use:
– Capacity for 3-5 compartment meal layout
– Heat tolerance for oven reheating (some airlines reheat meals in their original trays)
– Microwave compatibility for galley-level reheating
– Sufficient structural integrity for stacking in meal carts
– Weight in the 30-45 gram range per tray (lighter than conventional plastic, supporting fuel efficiency)

Brands currently in use: Notpla (UK origin, used by Just Eat for ground delivery and being trialed by airlines), various Asian bagasse suppliers serving Asian airlines (Singapore, Cathay Pacific have run trials), Pulp Tek and Stalkmarket variants serving North American carriers.

Adoption status: Mixed. Many airlines have run trials; full rollout is constrained by cost (bagasse trays run 2-3x conventional plastic) and by waste-handling infrastructure at destination airports.

Open challenges: Heat performance varies by manufacturer. Some bagasse trays soften noticeably during full reheating cycles. Premium specifications hold up better but at higher cost.

2. PLA-lined paper hot cups

For coffee and tea service in flight, the conventional cup is petroleum-plastic-lined paper, sometimes with a foam outer for insulation. PLA-lined paper cups provide the compostable replacement.

Spec requirements for airline use:
– 6-8 oz capacity standard for in-flight beverage service
– Heat tolerance for service temperatures (typically 165-185°F coffee, 175-195°F tea)
– Compatible with conventional galley cup holders and stowage
– Stackable for galley storage efficiency
– BPI or TÜV OK Compost certification

Brands and considerations: Most major compostable cup suppliers (World Centric, Eco-Products, Vegware) offer airline-applicable cup specs. The key differentiation for in-flight use is the lining temperature tolerance — PBS-lined or aqueous-coated cups handle hot service better than basic PLA-lined.

Adoption status: Several airlines (Etihad, Cathay Pacific, Hi Fly, some European carriers) have transitioned to compostable hot cups for in-flight service. Others continue using conventional cups.

Open challenges: Cup storage humidity in airline galley spaces can affect compostable cup integrity over weeks of storage. The supply chain has to consider catering kitchens to galley logistics.

3. Clear PLA cold beverage cups

Cold beverages on flights — water, juice, soft drinks, mixed drinks — typically use conventional clear plastic cups. PLA clear cups provide the compostable alternative.

Spec requirements for airline use:
– 8-12 oz capacity standard for in-flight service
– Crystal clear appearance (passengers expect to see their beverage)
– Cold-stable (PLA is appropriate for cold use)
– Stackable
– BPI certification

Adoption status: Better established than hot cups, because the heat tolerance question doesn’t apply. Many airlines have transitioned cold beverage cups to compostable PLA.

Open challenges: Premium airlines often use glass or hard plastic for premium cabin service to maintain perceived quality. Compostable PLA tends to be used for economy cabin service where the cup is functionally important but not premium-experience defining.

4. CPLA cutlery in airline-compatible form factors

Plastic cutlery in airline catering is the single most-thrown-away disposable item per passenger. Compostable CPLA cutlery is the most adopted compostable substitute.

Spec requirements for airline use:
– Standard 6-7″ length matching airline cutlery norms
– Heat tolerance for hot food service
– Strength to cut through served meats (some airlines provide pre-cut food specifically because cutlery limitations apply)
– Compact stacking for galley storage
– Either wrapped (individual cutlery packets) or loose (less wrapped waste)

Brands: World Centric, Eco-Products, Vegware, and various Asian manufacturers. Most major airline catering suppliers (LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet) offer compostable cutlery options.

Adoption status: Widely adopted. Some economy classes still use conventional plastic; most premium cabins now use compostable, real metal, or rented metal cutlery.

Open challenges: Real metal cutlery (cleaned and reused) is sometimes more environmentally favorable than disposable compostable. The compostable category competes with both conventional disposable and reusable metal options.

5. Bagasse molded bowls and containers

For soup courses, salad bowls, and miscellaneous small-container service, bagasse molded items provide compostable alternatives to plastic.

Spec requirements:
– 8-16 oz capacity for various menu items
– Heat tolerance for hot soups and starters
– Microwave compatibility
– Sufficient rigidity for galley handling and passenger eating
– Sealable or coverable for catering logistics

Adoption status: Used by several airlines for specific menu items. More common than fully replacing the meal tray ecosystem.

Open challenges: Lid compatibility — bagasse bowls typically need fiber or CPLA lids that are also compostable. Mismatched compostable bowls with conventional plastic lids defeats the purpose.

6. Compostable napkins (single-ply, recycled paper)

Napkins on flights are typically thin paper, conventional manufacturing. Compostable alternatives are largely a matter of certifying the paper supply chain.

Spec requirements:
– 1-ply or 2-ply construction (weight optimization)
– Unbleached or chlorine-free bleaching
– Compostable inks if printed
– Standard sizes (cocktail, lunch, dinner)

Adoption status: Most airlines use napkins that are functionally compostable (plain paper, no additives) without explicit certification. Some have moved to FSC-certified paper as the upgrade.

Open challenges: Custom-printed branded napkins introduce ink considerations. Most compostable napkin printing uses water-based inks, but verifying this across the supply chain takes attention.

7. PHA straws for cold drinks

Plastic straws in airline service are gradually being phased out. The compostable alternatives include PLA straws (industrial composting only) and PHA straws (broader compostability claims).

Spec requirements:
– 5-8 inch length depending on cup size
– 6-8mm diameter for standard drinks (wider for specialty drinks)
– Cold-stable
– Sealed individual packaging or open stacking

Brands: Phade (Danimer’s PHA brand), Stroodles, RWDC variants, various PLA straws from major brands.

Adoption status: Growing — many airlines have committed to phasing out conventional plastic straws. The transition is to compostable, paper, or no straw at all.

Open challenges: PHA straws are more expensive than PLA straws. Paper straws are cheaper but soften in beverages over the long sip times typical of airline drinks. Trade-offs continue.

8. Compostable snack packaging

Snack service on flights — pretzels, crackers, cookies — uses small packets of various film materials. The compostable alternative is harder to source than for other categories because flexible film packaging with food-safety compatibility is a smaller market segment.

Spec requirements:
– Barrier properties for food freshness (PLA films don’t always match conventional plastic for shelf life)
– Heat-seal compatibility for production-line packaging
– Compostable certification for the film material
– Cost competitiveness with conventional plastic film

Adoption status: Limited but growing. Notpla and a few specialty film manufacturers are starting to supply compostable snack packaging for airline catering trials.

Open challenges: Compostable films have shorter shelf life for moisture-sensitive products. Cost is 2-3x conventional plastic film. Production-line compatibility varies.

9. Compostable bags for waste collection

The whole point of compostable items is that they can be composted at end-of-life — but this only works if the entire waste collection from the flight goes to composting infrastructure. Compostable bags for in-cabin and galley waste collection enable the entire load to flow to commercial composting.

Spec requirements:
– Sufficient strength for typical airline waste (food residues, liquid drips, mixed items)
– Heat resistance for ambient cabin temperatures
– Standard sizes for cabin trash systems
– Tear-resistant for handling by crew and ground staff
– Visible labeling for waste-sorting protocols at ground operations

Adoption status: A handful of airlines have implemented compostable waste bag programs. The broader rollout depends on destination airport composting infrastructure.

Open challenges: International flights pose a particular challenge — biosecurity regulations in many countries require that catering waste from arriving international flights be incinerated or sterilized rather than composted, to prevent introduction of foreign agricultural pests and pathogens. This often eliminates the composting benefit for international waste streams.

The biosecurity constraint

The single biggest constraint on airline catering composting is international biosecurity. Most major destination countries (US, EU, UK, Australia, Japan) have regulations requiring international catering waste to be:

1. Incinerated, or
2. Sterilized (typically autoclaved or treated with steam) before composting, or
3. Sent to landfill rather than composting

The rationale: international food waste could carry plant pathogens (foot-and-mouth, classical swine fever, citrus canker, various viral and bacterial diseases) that local agriculture isn’t equipped to handle. Composting at typical thermophilic temperatures (130-160°F) doesn’t kill all such pathogens; the higher temperatures of incineration or autoclaving are required.

This means that even if an airline uses entirely compostable catering items, the waste from international flights often ends up in incineration or landfill rather than composting, regardless of the items’ compostability.

The implication for compostable adoption: the environmental benefit of compostable airline catering is most realized on domestic flights, where the destination biosecurity rules don’t apply and the waste can flow to commercial composting.

For US-domestic flights, several US-based composting facilities have established partnerships with airline catering operations at major hub airports (Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, others) to accept catering waste that meets compostability requirements. These programs are growing.

For international flights, the regulatory landscape needs to evolve before composting becomes viable for the waste stream. Some progress is happening through targeted regulatory updates and through autoclaving programs at major airports, but the change is slow.

The weight optimization angle

For airline operations, every gram on board costs fuel. The weight comparison between conventional plastic and compostable items matters:

Weight comparison (approximate):
– Conventional plastic meal tray: 60-80 grams
– Bagasse meal tray: 35-45 grams (lighter)
– Conventional plastic cup: 8-12 grams
– Compostable PLA cup: 7-11 grams (slightly lighter)
– Conventional plastic cutlery set: 18-22 grams
– Compostable CPLA cutlery set: 16-20 grams (slightly lighter)

In most categories, compostable alternatives are slightly lighter than conventional plastic, providing a small fuel efficiency benefit. The weight difference per item is small but compounds across thousands of passenger-meals.

For a Boeing 787 carrying 300 passengers, the catering weight difference between full-plastic and full-compostable setup is approximately 5-10 kg total. Over thousands of flight-cycles, this translates to meaningful fuel cost savings.

The cost analysis

Compostable items cost more per piece than conventional plastic alternatives:

• Compostable cup vs plastic cup: 50-100% more
• Compostable cutlery vs plastic cutlery: 50-100% more
• Compostable meal tray vs plastic tray: 100-200% more
• Compostable snack film vs conventional film: 100-200% more
• Compostable waste bags vs conventional bags: 100-200% more

For a typical economy meal cost of $5-10 per passenger, the compostable upgrade adds approximately $0.50-2.00 per passenger meal. Multiplied across daily passenger volumes, this is significant — major airlines making the full transition would add tens of millions of dollars annually.

The cost is partially offset by:
– Weight savings (fuel efficiency)
– Brand differentiation and customer perception
– Compliance with sustainability commitments
– Avoidance of future plastic-based regulations

For premium airlines positioning around sustainability (Etihad, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Lufthansa Group with its sustainability commitments), the cost is justified by the brand and ESG value. For low-cost carriers, the cost is harder to absorb and compostable adoption is slower.

The supplier landscape

The major airline catering suppliers (LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet, Newrest, dnata) all offer compostable options for their airline clients. The compostable items are typically sourced from the same suppliers as ground-based foodservice (World Centric, Eco-Products, Vegware) plus a small number of airline-specific specialist suppliers.

For airlines making the transition, the procurement workflow involves:

1. Catering supplier identifies compostable alternatives in their existing category
2. Airline approves the alternative based on cost, weight, and operational compatibility
3. Trial deployment on specific routes
4. Operational metrics tracked: passenger response, crew handling, weight savings, waste destination
5. Full rollout decision based on trial results

The trial-to-rollout timeline is typically 6-18 months for individual items.

Looking forward

The trajectory for compostable in airline catering points toward broader adoption over the next 5-10 years, driven by:

Regulatory pressure. EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive and similar regulations in other jurisdictions push airlines away from conventional plastics. Compostable alternatives are one path to compliance.

Customer expectations. Sustainability-conscious travelers increasingly factor airline environmental commitments into booking decisions. Visible compostable catering supports that brand positioning.

Cost reduction. Compostable products continue to come down in price as production scales. The cost premium over conventional plastic is narrowing.

Infrastructure development. Airport composting infrastructure is expanding at major hubs. The Pacific Northwest airports lead, with growing coverage at other major hubs in the US and Europe.

Biosecurity rule evolution. Slow progress toward allowing composting of treated catering waste from international flights would expand the addressable composting volume substantially.

For B2B operations in the airline catering supply chain — caterers, ground handlers, equipment suppliers, packaging companies — the category trajectory makes compostable a real and growing market. Operations that build capability now will be positioned to serve airlines as the transition accelerates.

For compostable food containers and other product categories, the airline catering use case sits alongside ground-based foodservice as a category where the operational and procurement details matter substantially. The aviation specific constraints — weight, space, biosecurity, temperature — shape which compostable products work and which don’t. The nine items above represent the categories where the engineering is solving the constraints and where actual airline adoption is happening in 2025.

The transition isn’t complete and won’t be for years. But the path forward is clearer than it was even five years ago, and the operational viability of compostable for airline catering is established. The remaining work is scale, cost optimization, and infrastructure — all of which are improving year over year.

For B2B sourcing, see our compostable catering trays catalog.

Background on the underlying standards: ASTM D6400 defines the U.S. industrial-compost performance bar, EN 13432 harmonises the EU equivalent, and the FTC Green Guides govern how “compostable” can be marketed on packaging in the United States.