Every year, airplanes are responsible for about 2.5% of planet-warming gas pollution, contributing to the transportation sector's 16.2% share of total carbon pollution. Thankfully, scientists have found a sustainable way to cut that contribution by turning everyday trash into jet fuel.
A study published in Nature Sustainability shows that converting municipal solid waste into sustainable aviation fuel could reduce pollution by 80-90% compared to conventional jet fuel. The findings support that one day, food scraps and packaging could power commercial flights.
Researchers from the U.S. and China found that trash-based jet fuel could account for 62.5 billion liters annually, enough to cut global aviation pollution by 16%, as Anthropocene Magazine reported.
"There is a wealth of organic waste deserving our attention," said research team member Michael McElroy, an environmental studies professor at Harvard University.
In addition to waste, the Nature Sustainability study also noted that integrating green hydrogen into the process could remove even more carbon, while the biggest hurdle is improving the gasification process, which has been a "technical challenge."
For cities already struggling with landfill waste, this breakthrough could turn that problem into a climate solution.
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This isn't the only recent advancement in sustainable aviation technology. Scientists at Chalmers University in Sweden presented hydrogen-powered aircraft designs that could reduce fuel consumption. Meanwhile, aviation company Eviation introduced Alice, the world's first all-electric commuter plane, last year.
Choosing low-impact travel options helps support this transition. While no single solution can fully replace dirty-energy-producing fuel just yet, innovations such as waste-based sustainable aviation fuel and electric aircraft are taking us in the right direction.
"Using these wastes as feedstocks could reduce the cost of the decarbonization transition for hard-to-abate sectors," said McElroy.
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