BioNatur honors WFS with Pioneer Award for biodegradable plastics initiative

Research

Rebecca Kanable Assistant Editor | AviationPros

By Sky Industry News

Jul 29, 2024

BioNatur Plastics has recognized Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, for its commitment to sustainability. Stephanie Peacock, director of sourcing and supply in North America at WFS, received BioNatur's first 'Pioneer Award' for her role in introducing biodegradable plastic products into the global air cargo industry.

Since becoming the launch customer for BioNatur Plastics’ biodegradable stretch wrap and pallet covers in North America, WFS has helped prevent over 600 tonnes of plastic from ending up in landfills annually. Unlike other biodegradable plastics, BioNatur's products can also be recycled.

WFS’s leadership has enabled BioNatur to demonstrate its product's effectiveness and build a client base that includes British Airways, American Airlines, Avianca, Cargolux, DB Schenker, Delta Cargo, Expeditors, LATAM Airlines, Korean Airlines and United Cargo. Other international handling organizations are now also using BioNatur products.

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Chris Paladino, CEO of BioNatur Plastics, stated: “Our first-ever Pioneer Award recognizes that WFS, through Stephanie’s leadership, was the first cargo company to adopt BioNatur. After being recognized as a winner in the inaugural TIACA Air Cargo Sustainability Awards, the use of our plastics by WFS gave us the high-quality and high-volume test case we needed to quickly expand further across the industry.”

Jose Canales, SVP Commercial and Business Development for the Americas at WFS said: “Sustainability isn’t just a choice for us; it’s the foundation of our growth. By integrating innovative sustainable practices into our business, we will not only secure our future but also create lasting value for our customers and communities.”

Peacock added: “I am proud to accept this award on behalf of WFS and to know that having acted as the launch partner for BioNatur in the air cargo industry; we have encouraged global airlines, forwarders and other handlers to follow our lead. In support of SATS’ environmental social governance (ESG) group priorities; we continue to encourage our Procurement specialists to look for collaborative sustainability partners because we can clearly achieve much more by working together."

She continued: "The success of BioNatur is a great example of how collaborative relationships can benefit all organizations. Understanding your supplier’s business and goals can help you find synergies that yield long-term benefits far exceeding any short-term price reductions achieved through an adversarial approach. When BioNatur first told us about their new technology they were testing; we were impressed by their innovative approach. After running numerous pilot programs; our operations team confirmed BioNatur performed as well if not better than traditional plastic. This gave us confidence to take decisive action and deploy BioNatur across all our operations in the US – surely a step in the right direction towards meeting our Group level target of 100% packaging materials being reusable or recyclable-ready by 2030.”