Hactl – Hong Kong’s largest independent air cargo handler –won the Corporate Category at the 2026 TIACA Air Cargo Sustainability Awards for its ‘Redefining Cargo Packaging Through Circular Materials’ project.
It aims to reduce single-use plastics in air cargo packaging by developing aviation-grade polyethylene plastic sheets using post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Hactl has become the world’s first air cargo terminal to successfully develop and lab-validate 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheets that meet both mechanical and operational requirements.
Since 2022, Hactl has transitioned to 30-50% recycled content, but further progress was constrained due to technical constraints, as higher PCR content typically compromises tensile strength, elasticity and processing performance. To overcome this, Hactl collaborated with the Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI), which is now merged with the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, to develop an ecofriendly, multi-layer polyethylene film structure that preserves aviation-grade mechanical performance while increasing recycled content, creating a practical pathway towards fully circular cargo packaging.
The 100% closed-loop recycling target has now been achieved and can be set as a global standard. Used plastic sheets are collected from Hactl’s SuperTerminal 1, converted into reusable pellets and remanufactured into new films made entirely from 100% PCR material.
By breaking the 50% recycled-content ceiling, the project significantly reduces reliance on virgin petrochemical resins and their associated emissions, with the potential to divert approximately 700 tonnes of plastic waste from landfill annually. It also offers a scalable model for other sectors reliant on high-performance packaging, demonstrating how sustainability and operational performance can advance together.
Hactl acting chief executive Michelle Choi said: “The 100% closed-loop recycled plastic sheets is more than a material breakthrough; it offers a scalable model that combines environmental benefit, technical integrity and commercial viability, demonstrating how sustainable innovation can drive meaningful change across the air cargo industry.”
