Emirates introduces new amenity kits and toys, developed from sustainable materials. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

EMIRATES is on board with The World Environment Day 2022 theme, "Only One Earth," with initiatives onboard and on the ground that add up to making a big difference.

The airline's environmental strategy focuses on three areas: reducing emissions, consuming responsibly, and preserving wildlife and habitats.

When it comes to in-flight product and service development, an in-house team of sustainability experts give their input from the early stages. Following the waste management hierarchy, the team's approach prioritizes waste prevention, and then, products are assessed if they can be reused. If not, it's recycled, and the last option is its responsible disposal.

Under this direction, plastic straws and stirrers have been replaced with responsibly sourced paper and wooden alternatives. A customer favorite, Emirates' cozy sustainable blankets in economy class are made from 28 recycled plastic bottles each. By the end of this year, Emirates will have saved 150 million single-use plastic items from landfill from these initiatives.

Emirates' new economy class amenity kits, introduced this year, have also put through sustainability reviews before being launched on board. These reusable kits are made from washable kraft paper and contain durable travel essentials made from environmentally friendly materials. The packaging used for the dental kit, socks and eyeshades are made from 90-percent rice paper. The toothbrush is made from a combination of wheat straw and plastic, and the socks and eyeshades are made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate or rPET.

For Emirates' youngest customers, the airline's complimentary toy bags, baby amenity kits and plush toys are also made from recycled plastic bottles.