Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) – Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler – has achieved a world first in its quest to introduce and adopt 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheets for cargo operations.

Since 2022, Hactl began to adopt recycled plastic sheets composed of 30–50% recycled material, and since then has been driving toward a fully 100% recycled solution. In collaboration with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI), the two organisations have now successfully developed 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheets using post-consumer plastic sheet wastes generated by Hactl — a potential scalable and applicable solution for the wider industry which are being rolled out immediately.

The successful implementation of this project will significantly reduce the use of virgin plastic and hopefully encourage other companies in the industry to follow Hactl’s lead. The aim is to foster a culture where eco-friendly practices are the norm rather than the exception.

Says Amy Lam, Chief Sustainability Officer of Hactl: “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.”

As a major air cargo handler in Hong Kong, Lam says Hactl is in an ideal position to influence the type of material used in wrapping aircraft pallets, and so drive the achievement of far better recycling rates: “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.”