Throughout our company, from selecting aircraft to maintaining them, from encouraging carpooling to supporting the preservation of wildlife, environmental concerns are an important part of corporate decisions.

Award-winning environmental technology
Lufthansa has won awards for its technical developments to safeguard the environment. One is a technique of using high-pressure water spray instead of toxic chemicals for stripping paint from our planes. Another award was for our complete elimination of "ozone killers" in our fleet maintenance programs. In our Hamburg maintenance plant, new equipment has enabled us to stop using certain hazardous chemicals in cleaning parts and inspecting for cracks.

Lufthansa pitches in
Our commitment to environmental quality doesn't stop with technology. Our pursuit of economic growth without causing added harm to the environment is evident throughout our company. The china dishes on which we serve our in-flight meals enables us to avoid the plastics that require costly disposal. The result: thirty-six per cent of our in-flight waste is recycled. Recycling and waste prevention in our plants has resulted in dramatic reductions in paper, plastic and metal waste. On our domestic German flights our Gate Buffet offers passengers the freedom to put together their individual meal prior to boarding, thereby reducing waste. We are also continuing a long-standing support of German programs to "Save the Crane" by conserving its habitats.