HACTL debuts recycled plastic sheets for air cargo in Hong Kong
Key takeaways
- HACTL and NAMI have developed fully recycled plastic sheets using post-consumer waste.
- The innovation builds on HACTL’s earlier use of 30–50% recycled content and is designed to reduce reliance on virgin plastics.
- The initiative aligns with broader industry and regulatory shifts toward sustainable pallet wrapping.
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (HACTL) has partnered with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) to introduce the “world-first” fully closed-loop recycled plastic sheets for cargo operations.
The two organizations have developed the plastic sheets using post-consumer plastic sheet waste generated by HACTL, creating a potentially scalable and applicable solution for the wider industry.
HACTL adopted recycled plastic sheets with 30–50% recycled material in 2022. The new development aligns with the company’s goal to strengthen its eco-friendly practices.
Amy Lam, chief sustainability officer at HACTL, says: “Our existing plastic sheets already contained recycled material, but we wanted to accelerate our full transition to the circular economy and bring tangible benefits to industry and society at large, and the fully closed-loop recycled plastic sheets enable us to achieve that goal.”
Strengthening circularity
HACTL notes that the implementation of this project can “significantly reduce the use of virgin plastic.” Lam highlights that as Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler, HACTL can influence the selection of materials used in aircraft pallet wrapping, thereby enabling improved recycling rates.
“There is a huge scope to improve the air cargo industry’s performance in this area. By incorporating a higher proportion of recycled content into our plastic sheets, we can achieve closed-loop recycling, significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our industry, and keep thousands of metric tons of non‑biodegradable plastic out of our landfills,” she adds.
Earlier this month, the European Commission exempted pallet straps and wrapping from the EU’s 100% reuse requirement in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The packaging items are now subject to a 40% reuse requirement.
To reduce carbon footprint in pallet wraps, last year, Smurfit Westrock launched a fully recyclable paper pallet wrap made with the company’s Nertop. The move aimed to replace traditional PE-based stretch wraps, commonly used to stabilize pallet loads during transportation.
