If you happen to be driving down Interstate-90 from our Chicago hub at O’Hare International Airport, in a little more than an hour you will reach the Midwestern town of Gary, Indiana. Here in the heartland you will find a revolution emerging that will fuel 21st-century progress for not only our industry but, more importantly, our planet.
I am proud that this innovation is being led by United Airlines, along with our partner Fulcrum BioEnergy, which selected Gary for the location of its pioneering Centerpoint BioFuels Plant. Here, they are advancing a cutting-edge technology that converts municipal solid waste into low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel.
Yes, you read that right. We are planning to transform trash on the ground and convert it into clean, sustainable jet fuel.
How It Works
Trash is collected and delivered to the Fulcrum BioEnergy facility, where it is processed so that all recyclables are sorted for reuse, while the remainder is sent to the refinery. Next, the refinery converts the trash into sustainable aviation fuel. This fuel is transported to the airport supply, where it gets blended with traditional jet fuel. Finally, you, our customer, board the aircraft and are on the way to your destination, courtesy of a sustainable process that produces 80 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional fuel on a life cycle basis.
This is what the future looks like, thanks to the visionaries at United and our innovative
partners who envisioned this future before anyone else and invested early to bring it to reality faster than many thought possible.
When paired with next-generation, fuel-efficient aircraft designed to reduce emissions up to 15 to 20 percent compared to their predecessors, this sustainably sourced and consumed fuel accelerates us toward our goal of reducing our carbon footprint 50 percent by the year 2050. We were the first U.S. airline to make such a tangible pledge, which, when achieved, will be the equivalent of eliminating all the cars in New York City and Los Angeles, combined.
Future in Our Hands
Our investment in pioneers such as Fulcrum BioEnergy and World Energy means United is now responsible for half of the entire industry’s commitment to purchase and use sustainable fuel.
Our efforts are only as strong as every single link. That is why we are on the way to electrifying all our ground fleets and service equipment. And on our aircraft, we have replaced single-use plastic stirring sticks and cocktail picks with a sustainable bamboo alternative, as a part of our partnership with Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and its campaign to “Shedd the Straw.”
Our efforts to be the greenest airline in the industry are about the future—of our business and our skies. It is about proving a successful airline, like any company, is one that is profitable and principled.
As we mark the 50th Earth Day this April, the climate challenges of the future have never seemed so urgent and immediate. The future is in our hands, to make of it what we will. And as I look at the incredible people who belong to our United family, and the outstanding partners we work with, I know our future could not be in better hands.
