Qantas And Jetstar To Ditch Paper Boarding Passes

A big change is coming to some airport terminals, with Qantas and Jetstar to ditch paper boarding passes in a bid to cut down on waste.

The changes were announced this morning by Qantas Group, with the goal to be the first airline in the world to recycle, reuse and compost at least 75 per cent of its waste by 2021.

The move will apply to both domestic and international boarding passes, with single-use plastic to be replaced by "alternative packaging".

Along with the changes to the boarding passes, coffee cups will be recycled or composted - along with food, and old crew uniforms will be donated.

"In the process of carrying 50 million people each year, we deal with more than 30,000 tonnes of waste. That’s the same weight as about 80 747 jumbos," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

"It is quite literally a waste, and we have a responsibility to our customers, shareholders and the community to reduce it.

"We’ve already removed plastic wrapping on our pyjamas and headsets, as well as plastic straws. Even plastic Frequent Flyer cards are going digital.

"It adds up to millions of items a year because of our scale, and there’s a lot more we can do."