Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has introduced what it describes as a world-first 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheet for cargo operations, marking the latest step in its efforts to reduce virgin plastic use and improve circularity across the air freight sector.

Hactl, Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler, said the new sheets were developed in collaboration with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) using post-consumer plastic sheet waste generated from its own operations. The solution is now being rolled out immediately.

The company began adopting plastic sheets containing 30-50% recycled material in 2022, but said the latest development takes that work a step further by achieving a fully recycled alternative that could be scaled more widely across the industry.

Hactl said the move would help cut reliance on virgin plastic and reduce the volume of non-biodegradable waste sent to landfill, while also demonstrating a practical model for closed-loop recycling in cargo handling.

Amy Lam, chief sustainability officer of Hactl, said: “Our existing plastic sheets already contained 30-50% recycled material, but we wanted to accelerate our full transition to the circular economy and bring tangible benefits to industry and society at large, and the new 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheets enable us to achieve that goal.”

Hactl said it is well placed to influence the materials used in wrapping aircraft pallets and improve recycling performance across the wider air cargo supply chain.

Lam added: “We believe there is huge scope to improve the air cargo industry’s performance in this area. By incorporating a higher proportion of recycled content into our plastic sheets, we can achieve closed-loop recycling, significantly reduce the carbon footprint of our industry and keep thousands of tonnes of non-biodegradable plastic out of our landfills.”

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