We’ve added six new stations to our in-flight recycling program!

Last month, Baltimore, Denver, Ft. Lauderdale, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, and Washington, DC all began recycling on all flights and nearly 25 more stations will join them mid-July. See complete list below.

Since the beginning of the program in June 2007, our flight attendants have helped raise $80,000, which is funding a Habitat for Humanity EarthCraft home being built in Jonesboro, Georgia this September. An EarthCraft home is built with energy efficient appliances and environmentally sustainable products and materials.

Our overall goal for the program is to reduce the amount of solid waste going into landfills and use revenue from recycling to support foundations such as Habitat for Humanity. The program also reduces our waste costs, which saves Delta money. Recycling is a prime example of how environmentally sustainable practices are not only the right thing to do, but also support Delta’s economic viability.

Next time you’re flying into one of the below cities, remember to recycle your aluminum cans, plastics bottles (caps can be left on), newspapers, and magazines.

• Atlanta, GA
• Baltimore, MD
• Cincinnati, OH
• Cleveland, OH
• Denver, CO
• Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• Los Angeles, CA
• Portland, OR
• Raleigh-Durham, NC
• Salt Lake City, UT
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington DC, MD

Are there any other recycling tips you’d like to share with us?

Meghan
Sustainability Intern
Environmental Health

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Climate change and global warming are hot topics in our industry lately. We at Delta know that how we in the aviation industry deal with it is crucial.

Global warming refers to an increase in the Earth’s average temperature, which in turn causes changes in the climate. A warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall patterns, rise in sea levels, and wide range impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. Most commonly when scientists talk about climate change their concern is about global warming being caused by human activities. Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect, which is when certain gases in the atmosphere trap energy (heat) from the sun, which then leads to a rise in temperature on Earth’s surface. These gases are referred to as greenhouse gases (GHGs) and include water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane. GHGs act to trap the energy in the atmosphere, causing our world to warm.

As we all know, the transportation sector is a significant contributor of GHGs. Global transportation contributes an estimated 14% of global GHG emissions and commercial aviation alone produces 2-3%. One gallon of Jet A fuel converts to nearly 21 pounds of CO2. This may sound frightening, but if you multiply mileage by number of passengers, it works out that the average passenger miles per gallon is about 53, similar to driving a small SUV with 3 occupants, their luggage and a 6 year old golden lab.

All in all, climate change is an issue the entire transportation industry is coming face to face with.

Only the future will tell how other industries cope, but Delta is committed to reducing GHG emissions, for emissions are directly related to fuel usage and we want be as fuel efficient as possible. For example, in the past 10 years, the fuel efficiency of Delta’s fleet has improved by 24% and will improve even further in years to come.

Meghan

Sustainability Intern

Environmental Health

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The phrase “All hands on deck”, could be considered the motto of the Southwest Culture.  Southwest Airlines Culture Committee Members are quick to respond to any S.O.S. call given and stand confident against any obstacle in the way of success.   We have more than 300 Corporate Culture Committee Members here at Southwest, and that’s not even counting the numerous Local Culture Committees we have throughout the system at our Stations, Inflight Bases, Reservation Centers, and Provisioning Stations.

I remember learning about Culture in my History 101 class.  It always seemed to be tied in with the chapters about religion and race.  I can honestly say I had no idea the intensity of what Culture meant until experiencing it first hand at Southwest.  The people of Southwest have redefined what Culture means.  It is a way of life, a way to conduct a business, and a way to incorporate respect, FUN, and The Golden Rule, into every Employee’s day-to-day interactions. 

What is The Golden Rule you ask?  It is only the most important characteristic that Colleen Barrett, the Company’s President, entrusts in her Employees.   Treat Others the Way You Would Like to Be Treated. Seems pretty simple, right?  I will admit it is hard to put your stubborn side away sometimes.  And I do not want to give the impression that everything is sugarplums and fairies at Southwest.  We still have a business to run, but we have been taught to work together and to respect each other and to have FUN while working towards a goal.

I like to think the phrase “All hands on deck” stems back to the days of the Pirates.  They were a group of people, different in many ways, who came together to accomplish a common goal.  I guess you could compare the Southwest Airlines Culture Committee Members to a group of Pirates.  We are all very different, maybe even crazy at times,  but we will respect and look out for each other, work hard, and have FUN, all at the same time.