6 October 2020 – Hong Kong. FORMIA, the international guest amenity and hospitality specialist, is excited to be launching the first stage of its new and enhanced sustainability strategy, enabling it to make ongoing positive contributions to both the environment and its communities.
As well as addressing passenger needs during the ongoing global pandemic, FORMIA has remained dedicated to finding relevant solutions to global issues such as the climate crisis. To support their endeavours, the company has brought onboard GlobeScan, a leading sustainability consultancy.
The first initiative to launch will see FORMIA, in an amenities industry first, commit to all future productions of inflight socks and eye masks being made from 100% recycled PET fabric. This initiative will take-off onboard from Spring 2021 with the first customer introduction, with other airline customers in planning to follow subsequently.
This means that the virgin polyester used for socks and eye masks will be changed to recycled PET that will carry the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification. To drive the initiative forward, FORMIA is absorbing the additional cost of the material, rendering the move cost neutral for airlines and beneficial for supporting their sustainability efforts.
Transitioning from virgin polyester to recycled PET results in significant waste savings. Concretely, it will save 1,500 tons of plastic waste, which corresponds to 79 million plastic bottles, from going into landfill each year*. In addition, according to a 2018 report by the Association of Plastic Recyclers, using recycled plastic reduces energy consumption by 79% and greenhouse gas emissions by 67% compared to using new PET.
As FORMIA continues to review its end-to-end processes and identifies areas where improvements and transformation can be made, further progress will be shared, including development of CSR programs, as part of its wider sustainability strategy, with charity partners in both local and international communities.
Roland Grohmann, Vice Chairman and Managing Partner at FORMIA, said: “We have been working hard to put the health and safety of travellers front and foremost, whilst also acknowledging that there is a huge effort needed to respond to the global climate crisis.
It is important for us to support our airline partners as they navigate their sustainability efforts during what is an exceedingly difficult time. Today’s announcement is the first step on our path to sustainability and we look forward to sharing further plans very soon.”
*based on FORMIA?s 2019 volumes of those products.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About FORMIA
FORMIA is a global leader in the travel industry offering tailor-made, premium guest and in-flight service amenities, including kits, bags, cosmetics and a full range of comfort items. Over the past three decades, FORMIA has forged a distinctive design approach founded on quality and exceptional innovation which is testament to the company’s unique product expertise. In partnership with the world’s leading airlines and brands in luxury, travel, lifestyle and well-being, FORMIA focuses on identifying the most relevant strategic fit, enabling the brand to optimize its visibility and impact while adding significant value to the airlines’ proposition.
About GRS
The Global Recycled Standard,(GRS), owned by the Textile Exchange, is a reknown international full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody (ensures the identity of the recycled material from the recycler to the final product)., social and environmental practices as well as chemical restrictions.