easyJet rolls out reusable crew meal trays across its UK and EU fleet

easyJet has introduced reusable crew meal trays in partnership with Ecoffee Cup across its UK and European fleet, helping reduce onboard waste and supporting the airline’s ongoing sustainability efforts.

Following successful implementation across the airline's Swiss fleet and at its Marrakech (RAK) base, the reusable trays, to be used by crew for all in-flight meals, are now being rolled out across all UK and EU aircraft. The trays replace single-use cardboard boxes previously used and provide a more practical and durable solution for onboard crew meals.

The initiative is expected to replace more than 1.5 million cardboard crew meal boxes per year, further reducing the volume of single-use materials used across the operation.

Made from certified food-safe plastic, the reusable trays complement other onboard sustainability measures already in place, including reusable cups and cutlery that crew have been using for all onboard meals since being introduced in 2024.

This forms one of many initiatives easyJet is implementing to reduce onboard waste and exemplifies how small operational changes are helping to gradually lower the airline’s operational impact.

Michael Brown, Director of Cabin Services at easyJet, said:

"At easyJet, we are always looking for practical ways to reduce waste across our operation. Our crew really embraced the introduction of reusable cups and cutlery and the addition of reusable trays will help prevent further single use waste from being generated.”

This is another small but important step in our efforts to reduce the impact of our operations and we’ll continue to explore further opportunities to limit waste onboard our aircraft and reduce our environmental impact."

Maximising efficiencies to lower operational impact: The reusable crew trays are part of a wide range of initiatives easyJet is deploying to reduce aircraft waste and combine many marginal gains into broader emissions reduction. These techniques include among others:

Digital fuel app: easyJet is partnering with i6 Group to introduce eHandshake, a digital refuelling platform that modernises the way fuel is ordered, delivered and verified across its network. Integrated into pilots' existing ETechlog system, the technology provides more accurate fuel data, helping reduce unnecessary fuel uplift, lower fuel burn and improve operational efficiency. The platform is expected to save around 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, while also creating a fully digital fuel workflow that improves data accuracy, strengthens invoice verification and eliminates an estimated 600,000 sheets of paper annually.

Lighter paints: In 2025, easyJet announced the adoption of a new lower-weight paint system, which is expected to achieve fuel savings of 1,296 tonnes and CO₂ reductions of 4,095 tonnes once fully implemented across the entire fleet by 2030. easyJet is the first airline to test this paint solution developed by Mankiewicz Aviation Coatings.

New ultra-lightweight seats: easyJet has selected new ultra-lightweight Kestrel seats from Mirus Aircraft Seating for future Airbus A320neo and A321neo deliveries from 2028. The seats are over 20% lighter than those currently used, helping to reduce aircraft weight, fuel burn and emissions, with expected savings of more than 40,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. The new seats will also improve the customer experience by providing up to two inches of additional legroom, while their durable and highly recyclable design supports easyJet's broader sustainability and operational efficiency goals.

For further information, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252 or visit mediacentre.easyJet.com

Notes to Editors

About easyJet

easyJet is one of Europe’s largest airlines offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports with great value fares and friendly service. easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 100 million passengers in 2024. The airline has over 340 aircraft flying on over 1,000 routes to more than 160 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.

easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in nine countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £17m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.

In 2022, easyJet published its roadmap to net zero by 2050. The roadmap, which also features a combination of fleet renewal, operational efficiencies, airspace modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and carbon removal technology, has set an ambitious interim carbon emissions intensity reduction target of 35% by 2035, validated by the Science-based targets initiative (SBTi). The airline’s ultimate aim is to fully transition its fleet to zero carbon emission technology, which it will achieve through a number of strategic partnerships including with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and GKN Aerospace Solutions. Since 2000, the airline has successfully reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by one-third.

Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching nearly 30 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers. In 2023 easyJet was named by TIME as one of the World’s Best Companies and a Leader in Diversity 2024 by The Financial Times.