Emirates Flight Catering has commissioned biodigesters to reduce carbon emissions and improve waste management

Dubai: Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC) is scaling up its approach to waste management with a custom-built biodigester, one of the largest in commercial scale and capacity. The biodigester at EKFC's Central Commissary Unit enables on-site processing of organic waste, treating it at the source rather than diverting it to landfill.

Using aerobic digestion—oxygen, heat and naturally occurring microorganisms—the biodigester breaks down food waste and produces grey water for non-potable reuse. Unlike mechanical systems, its efficiency increases over time as the microbial culture matures.

The system now processes an average of up to 3.5 tonnes of waste per day. Current projections for the biodigester at EKFC estimate capacity will increase to around 6 tonnes of food waste per day. 

EKFC estimates that diverting one tonne of food waste from landfill avoids approximately 0.7 t CO₂e per tonne, primarily by preventing methane emissions stemming from decomposition in landfill. At full capacity and biological maturity, the biodigester could avoid more than 2,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually.

EKFC is advancing strategic investments in energy and fleet, including incorporating solar panels which generated 4,000 MWh last year, avoiding 1,600 tonnes of CO₂e. Electric vehicles are being introduced across operations, and a proof-of-concept electric hi-loader, the first in the region, is expected by mid-2026.

On waste and circularity, EKFC processed nearly 75,000 kg of food waste through its first LFC-50 biodigester last year and eliminated 45,000 kg of plastic annually through packaging changes. It has also developed 47 recipes using production trimmings to repurpose potential waste.

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