Here's How United Recycles the Amenity Kits Left on Board
Not sure what to do with your amenity kit after an international flight on United? It's safe to leave it behind.
This week, United pulled together 200 volunteers in its downtown Chicago headquarters to take part in the latest chapter of its Eco-skies program. Through a partnership with Clean the World, a hospitality-focused nonprofit based in Orlando, Florida, United has been taking unused portions of its amenity kits and repacking them as hygiene bags for communities in need. Though the campaign started in 2016, this week's event at Willis Tower was the airline's largest volunteer effort to date and the first of 2019. All told, United plans to run a half-dozen other similar volunteer events at hubs around the country this year.
Here's how it works: after an inbound international flight, crews sweep through premium cabins to pick up unused amenity kits. All unused amenities — whether it's a tube of chapstick or a full, untouched kit from Sunday Riley — get collected and sent to a Clean the World processing station in Orlando, Las Vegas or Amsterdam where everything is sorted and compartmentalized into separate hoppers. At that point, bulk products by category are sent to volunteer stations with instructions for how the kits should be prepared. Volunteer crews work together to load amenities into new plastic bags and then stock pallets for outbound shipment. From there, new kits get sent directly out to aid centers around the world.
Shawn Seipler, CEO of Clean the World says that hygiene kits repurposed from these events have been deployed around the world from disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria to humanitarian work currently underway after recent flooding in the Midwest. Many of the shipments get disbursed through United's partnership with Good360, another nonprofit focusing on distribution and logistics.
This week's hygiene kits, which come in a simple plastic bag instead of a fancy aluminum or leather-like case, also include other Clean the World amenities such as hand sanitizer and a bar of repurposed hotel soap. Seipler says that while few airlines outside of United have joined Clean the World, over 8,000 hotels have signed up to participate. Bars of soap milled down from those 8,000 properties make up the colorful repurposed soap that Clean the World uses to stock outbound amenity kits.
According to Aaron Stash, Manager, Environmental Strategy and Sustainability, United is currently recycling 100% of its amenity kits from inbound international flights and is working on solutions for flights that depart from the United States. Since 2016, the carrier has been repurposing about 50,000 amenity kits each year, though repacking isn't done solely by United and its volunteers. Depending on the type of material used in the amenity kit cases, those too are also either recycled (in the case of United's older aluminum amenity kits) or reused for other initiatives.
This week's effort by United volunteers created just short of 10,000 hygiene kits, but there's still much more to do. Right now, amenity kit recycling only accounts for half of United's international flights as material from outbound routes still can't be collected. Passengers, too, need to be better educated on the value of leaving a kit behind versus taking it home and throwing it into a pile or under the bathroom sink.
Slowly, however, US airlines are making progress. United's efforts highlighted this week show that the carrier's efforts are expanding and appear to be the most comprehensive among legacy carriers, but responsible waste management is playing a bigger role across the entire industry. Both American and Delta are working on amenity kit recycling initiatives of their own.
All photos by the author.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.