Abstract
With increasing sustainability concerns, there are urgent calls for action for the aviation and waste sectors to reduce their environmental impact. This paper brings these two elements together, through a literature review of the waste challenges facing air transport.
The paper is a systematic quantitative literature review. Three databases (Scopus, Web of Science & ProQuest) are searched to capture peer-reviewed industry and academic publications, using relevant aviation and waste search criteria. Initially duplicates, non-aviation, and non-waste records are removed. The remaining references are analysed in detail according to variables such as method, results and emerging themes.
Relevant research findings will emerge from documented leading-edge examples from the aviation industry across a range of international case studies. The examples will incorporate construction and demolition waste, aircraft generated waste, and waste from airport operations. Findings will align with the waste hierarchy, from the least favourable option to dispose of waste, up to preferable options of recycling, reusing, reducing and avoiding waste. Waste management recommendations will also be provided.
The aviation sector has long been referenced as contributing to climate change, but the need for air transport to address the waste challenge has been less well researched. Combining aviation and waste in a study is original. A further contribution is through developing enablers and barriers for a more sustainable aviation in relation to waste. Strategy recommendations for the aviation industry and opportunities for further research are also provided.