It is estimated that airlines produce around 5.2 million tons of waste a year, according to a 2016 International Air Transport Association study. Most of that waste—comprising food, single-use plastics and mini liquor bottles—was incinerated or sent to landfill.
And when flights are delayed, even more waste is generated. If a flight gets delayed for a few hours, all of the meals are tossed and have to be replaced with new food, according to a Mic report.
