The amount of plastic and glass recycled by Emirates last year was equivalent to almost the same weight as a fully loaded Airbus A380.
More than 500,000 kilograms of bottles discarded from flights have been collected for repurposing including economy class blankets made from recycled plastic.
Socks and eyeshades in reusable economy and premium economy amenity kits are also made from recycled plastic, together with toy bags for children.
Glass is separated by colour and crushed at a recycling plant after being separated from plastic bottles from every flight landing in Dubai.
The plastic bottles are cleaned, chopped into flakes, melted into pellets, and sent to manufacturers to make other plastic products.
As a result, the airline and its flight catering division divert thousands of kilograms of glass and plastic away from landfill each year.
The glass and plastic recycling initiative onboard was suggested by cabin crew in 2019 and implemented within weeks.