No. of Employees: 43,000
Amount of paper collected for recycling 2006-2009: 6,000 tons
Grades Collected: Corrugated (Cardboard) Containers, Newspapers, Magazines, Mixed Paper, Office Paper
When and why was the paper recycling program established?In 2007, Continental Airlines focused on significantly increasing the effectiveness and breadth of the company's recycling program. To do so, Continental expanded recycling into areas commonly used by its flying customers and employees, developed new programs at hub airport terminals and many supporting facilities, and expanded existing on-board and catering facility recycling efforts.
How is the recycling program administered?Continental Airline's paper recycling program is administered by the environmental affairs department, facility-specific team members, and a recycling task force. The recycling task force includes division management from in-flight (flight attendants), dining services, airport services, and environmental affairs. These groups work together to streamline recycling processes between divisions and develop new and innovative ways to collect recyclables or reduce waste. Facility-specific green teams have also been established to track daily recovery efforts and develop new ideas to improve or increase collection of recyclables.
How are employees educated about the recycling program?Continental created Eco-Skies TM to communicate its commitment to environmental responsibility to its employees, customers, and suppliers and to help incorporate environmental stewardship into the company's culture. Eco-Skies is used to help educate and gain recognition for environmental initiatives.
Continental educates its employees through an assortment of communications and training programs. The airline also publishes information on what can be recycled, how much has been recovered for recycling, and the environmental impact of its recycling efforts. Recycling procedures are incorporated into Continental's In-Flight Policies and Procedures and new hire and routine flight attendant training. Together with the communications staff, the environmental affairs department sends employee environmental updates and factoids through Daily News Updates; posts recycling information in break rooms, copy rooms, and on video monitors and ticker displays; and broadcasts daily voicemail messages internally. Recycling information and resources are also available to employees on the environmental affairs department's internal website.
In addition, environmental articles are published in employee publications including the In-flight Monthly Operational Update, Continental Times and the Continental Quarterly. Environmental efforts are also recognized by Continental's CEO Jeff Smisek through his internal blog and weekly voicemail messages. Continental also hosts events and contests to engage employees in recycling. The airlines sponsored an employee "Think Green" idea contest that generated more than 1,800 ideas intended to help to increase recycling, save energy, minimize waste, and/or continue to help improve the environment. The Think Green idea contest was promoted in the Daily News Updates and posted on the internal company website. Some of the employees' ideas related to fuel savings and recycling have since been incorporated into the program.
Continental incorporates environmental goals into its Go Forward business plan and includes environmental accountability in the performance review process for management and director level personnel.
To educate customers on environmental issues and initiatives important to the company, articles are included in Continental's in-flight magazine, environmental factoids are routinely highlighted on continental.com, and Continental's Quarterly Facts now include a new Eco-Skies section.
Recycling proceeds are donated to Continental's employee charity, WE CARE, or reinvested in the recycling program. The WE CARE Fund is a private, nonprofit corporation that helps Continental employees and their families pay for basic necessities, including rent, clothing, medicine, and food, during unexpected emergencies such as natural disasters, fires, and personal illness.
What partnerships have been formed to increase paper recycling?Continental has partnered with airport authorities and recycling vendors, particularly the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Houston Airport System, and its employee unions to continue to increase paper recovery. The company also participates in events including Earth Day and America Recycles Day.
The airline has also partnered with Sustainable Travel International (STI) to provide customers with the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from their travel. STI is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education and outreach services that help travelers, travel providers and related organizations support environmental conservation and protect cultural heritage while promoting cross-cultural understanding and economic development.
In addition, Continental supports Restore America's Estuaries, a non-profit organization that works to protect and restore vital habitats, including our nation's estuary lands and waters.
How are the program's improvements measured?Improvements to the program are tracked by an environmental professional who tabulates and monitors reported recycling tonnage values on a routine basis. Some of the operational improvements that Continental has implemented include:
- Creating a program to keep recyclable commodities separate (or mixed where it makes sense);
- Maximizing rebates and increasing opportunities to improve recycling efforts at all airports and catering facilities;
- Increasing charitable donations to the WE CARE program;
- Designing a new, clear Eco-Skies in-flight recycling bag to encourage passengers to recycle; and
- On-board announcements to encourage passengers to recycle.
The program's cost effectiveness is measured by tracking the commodity value of items recovered for recycling and the savings gained in reduced trash disposal and hauling fees. Recycling proceeds from the on-board program are donated to, We Care, Continental's employee charity.
Additional Resources: Contact:Leah Raney (leah.raney@coair.com)
- In 2010, 63.5 percent of the paper used in the U.S. was recovered for recycling. This represents an 89 percent increase in the recovery rate since 1990.
- Every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space.
- 87 percent (268 million) of Americans have access to curbside or drop-off paper recycling programs.
- In 2010 the amount of paper recovered for recycling averaged 334 pounds for each man, woman and child in the United States.