The ultimate goal
The finish line is not “zero plastic” at any cost.
It is a defensible aviation materials system: less unnecessary waste, fewer harmful products, more viable reuse and recovery—and no false victories from heavier or less workable substitutes.
What success could include
- Unnecessary single-use items designed out of service.
- Reusable systems where their full lifecycle is genuinely better.
- Safer, lower-impact materials where reuse is not feasible.
- Airport and policy systems that make collection and recovery practical.
- Clear public targets, progress measures and retained claim history.
What could change our mind
Evidence that a plastic item performs better across manufacturing, weight, fuel, washing, service life and end-of-life than its available alternatives belongs in the record. So does evidence that an apparently “circular” system cannot close its loop in practice.
PlasticFree.Flights will publish findings even if they show the project’s original premise was partly—or wholly—wrong.
How we read a claim
Scope
Which flights, cabin, product, region and baseline are included?
System
Is the change reduction, reuse, recycled content, substitution—or a mix?
Lifecycle
What happens before flight, in operation and after arrival?