Lufthansa Group and WasteAid Launch Animation Film

WasteAid and Lufthansa Group have launched a new animated training film designed to help cabin crew improve onboard waste segregation, supporting efforts to increase recycling and circularity across the airline’s operations. 

The short animation forms part of the ongoing collaboration between WasteAid and Lufthansa Group to reduce the amount of airline waste ending up in landfill. Developed as part of the Circular Economy Project at the Lufthansa Group Mumbai outstation, the film encourages cabin crew to segregate recyclable materials during flights, helping preserve the quality and value of materials before they enter the airport waste management system. 

The animation was developed following a detailed assessment of waste management practices for Lufthansa and SWISS flights arriving at the Mumbai outstation. Waste flow mapping and waste audits revealed that while some waste is segregated during cabin service and stored in tray-equipped trolley carts, many recyclable and perishable items are stored together as mixed waste. As a result, liquids, moisture and food residues from waste often contaminate otherwise recyclable materials, reducing their quality and limiting their potential for recycling. 

The film brings this challenge to life by following the journey of a paper box after it leaves the aircraft. It illustrates the downstream waste management process, from collection and sorting to recycling, showing how proper onboard segregation helps keep valuable materials in circulation. By highlighting the people and processes involved in recovering onboard waste, the animation also demonstrates how better segregation can improve working conditions for waste workers who manually sort waste after it is unloaded from the aircraft. 

Designed as a concise and engaging learning tool, the animation can be easily integrated into existing crew communications and training. Rather than introducing new procedures, it reinforces best practices and demonstrates how small actions during routine cabin service can collectively make a significant environmental impact. 

WasteAid worked closely with Lufthansa Group, airline catering partners, airport stakeholders, and local waste management organisations throughout the project to ensure the film reflects operational realities while promoting practical improvements that can be seamlessly incorporated into everyday flight operations. 

The animation forms part of WasteAid’s wider Circular Economy Project with Lufthansa Group in India, which aims to improve resource recovery from airline waste through better onboard segregation, strengthened recycling systems, and collaboration across the entire waste value chain. Together, these initiatives help divert valuable materials from landfill, strengthen local recycling systems, improve working conditions for waste workers, and keep resources in circulation for longer.