Our throw away society . . .

But the aviation industry is not as bad as the consumer media would have us believe!

Our humidifier was not working. The repairman advised it was going to cost just a few dollars shy of what the whole unit was new. So my decision - repair or replace? The unit is only four years old, properly maintained and was the best you could buy at the time. Needless to say I was not amused.

But this is just the tip of a bigger issue. They just don’t build things like they used to. Take the “white goods” you have at home - fridge, stove, washer and dryer, washing machine and even microwave. Retailers say the days of buying appliances for 15 or 20 years are gone. The average warranty is one year and according to experts you can expect six years to maybe eight before you either fix or throw away – because once again the cost to repair vs. replace makes it attractive to do so.

We have a throw away mentality. Our friends who are into environmentally responsible will tell us, we are our own worst enemies. Our landfills are rapidly getting full with things that do not break down. And we continue to add to the pile.

What about the aviation industry? Are we really all that bad for the environment? After some review and discussions the conclusion I came to was no. Emissions arguments aside, we are better members of society than say the auto industry or “white goods” manufacturers in my view. 

An aircraft comes from the factory with the ability to improve, enhance and develop many times and in many ways over the life of the airframe. From the avionics suite, the entertainment components, the galley, and even the engine and related systems, every part can to be maintained and up rated. That adds life and usability to the whole aircraft increases use over a longer period of time – vs. replacing and scarpping.

Commercial aircraft manufacturers are becoming increasingly responsible for the “cradle to grave” aspect of an aircraft. They build them with a view to how the aircraft can or will be taken apart and disposed of when it is finished its job. According to numbers from IATA, some 12,000 commercial aircraft are on the order books to be delivered by the year 2020. At the same time the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA) tells us that 12,000 aircraft could be scrapped in the next 20 years. By the year 2016, AFRA should have the ability to recycle 90% of an aircraft. That number currently stands in the 80% to 85% at most which is up from less than 50% of a few years ago. Even the airlines - Air France in particular - are increasingly taking an ownership position in the disposal of their retired aircraft.  They now take it upon themselves to play a role in the dismantling and parting out of the components once it is out of service.

 

The hardest parts of an aircraft to recycle come from the cabin – mostly the interior fit and finish. Experts feel the latest aircraft will not necessarily be any easier to recycle.  The reasons lie in the materials being used.  Newer aircraft are lighter and more fuel-efficient due in part to carbon fiber and composite materials. While disposal of these products is far less energy intensive - hence less expensive to recycle - the facilities that are able to do such at present are few and far between. It will be a number of years before a Boeing 787 hits the scrapyard and accordingly one would expect that by that time, the processes and systems to recycle carbon fiber will be as common as those we have today for aluminum.

Some small operators do exist today to help. Take Toronto based Electronics Recycling Services (ERS). They have a line of machines that runs over 3200 linear feet and will take old avionics, cabin entertainment systems and components and reduce it to reusable materials. The handle plastics recovery (granulation of mix materials that are not recoverable via other methods for reuse as fillers for Plastic Lumber Manufacturing Line), an Electrostatic Separation to recover Copper, Lead, Zinc, and Tin plus shredding of all types of electronics, ferrous material separation and aluminum separation can be accomplished by them. They boast that over 90% of what comes in ends up reused in some other manufacturing. While they are growing, they are still a small part of the scrapping system today. More like them need to come along – and soon.

Aircraft have a usable life of 25 to 30 years on average. Automobiles get replaced every 5 to 10 years. There are far fewer airplanes than there are cars, fridges, washing machines and such going to the scrapyards. And with 90% of the aircraft being recycled, aviation is not a bad member of society. We certainly do not contribute anywhere near the amount of others to the ongoing “garbage” pile from humanity.