Companies leading the eco-way at WTCE’s Steps to Sustainability trail

By popular demand, World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) has announced it is bringing back its Steps to Sustainability exhibitor feature for the 2025 event. This interactive experience for visitors will spotlight innovative sustainable solutions within the onboard services market.

Led by WTCE Ambassador and Director of Aviation Sustainability Forum, Matt Crane, the feature will showcase 17 companies leading the way with key products on offer for airlines, cruise, and rail operators looking to consider their environmental impact while still meeting passenger expectations.

The Steps to Sustainability trail will highlight how to enhance passenger and provider experiences alike. Joining the lineup includes Callington who will present its range of aircraft cleaning and hygiene products, including its exclusive net zero carbon emissions line of aircraft-approved safe chemical solutions, focusing on inflight hygiene, air freshening, cleaning, and disinfection.

Green flavours

With WTCE’s strong focus on raising the profile of premium and speciality food and beverage offerings, the trail will highlight companies leading the way. Here, visitors will see the likes of Koppert Cress specialising in providing fresh natural microgreens and edible plants, offering unique flavour and visual enhancements for catering. Alongside, CASTELLO MONTE VIBIANO VECCHIO offering its estate-produced olive oils and condiment items, emphasising its world-first zero-emissions production processes. Valrhona Selection will present its range of sustainably sourced confectionery, drinks, and chocolate products, emphasising traceable ingredients, fair trade practices, and overall environmentally-friendly production.

Shifting the focus to speciality, yet sustainable beverages, Bottega Spa brings its selection of Italian wines, sparkling beverages, and non-alcoholic tipples, catering to diverse passenger preferences. From vineyards to distilleries and cellars, the drinks producer factors in sustainability throughout from eco-packaging and EQUALITAS certification to organic vineyards and waste recycling programmes. As a brand-new exhibitor of WTCE,Palm Bay will offer a variety of wine options to airlines. Leading the way, Palm Bay has been carbon neutral since it launched and it now maintains one of New Zealand’s largest solar displays.

Continuing along the trail, Clipper Teas highlights its organic and fair-trade tea offerings, addressing the growing demand for sustainably sourced ingredients for tea lovers worldwide. The specific offerings of Ly Company Italia will be presented at the show, allowing attendees to explore their high-quality water in sustainable and customisable packaging with 250ml sizes specifically for onboard and travel caterers.

Passenger and environment comfort

A dedicated section of the trail will highlight companies providing onboard amenities. Buzz will showcase its comprehensive range of environmentally friendly amenity kits, headphones, blankets, and other passenger comfort items all designed to enhance the travel experience. Similarly, Formia will present its curated selection of amenity kits, comfort items, and onboard service products, emphasising luxury, sustainability, and above all, functionality.

Plane Talking Products will feature its innovative meal service equipment, onboard textiles and amenities, catering to the evolving needs of modern travellers. Also bringing everything passengers look for when it comes to comfort, Intex focuses heavily on energy and raw material conservation when producing its range of duvets, pillows, headrests, and linens for airlines specialising in long-haul travel.

Eco-friendly solutions

Matching the demand for reusable food and beverage containers, DeSter will feature its innovative FlyLight reusable cup, designed for lightweight efficiency and optimised for airline stacking, loading, and washing. In addition, Linstol, a long-standing leader in inflight passenger amenities, will highlight its commitment to sustainability with the industry’s first and only certified recyclable paper cup, alongside its zero-waste production initiatives, and use of recycled plastics in headsets and earbuds.

Meanwhile, first-time exhibitor BioNatur Plastic will bring its full line of flexible plastics for in-cabin films, all made from recyclable and landfill biodegradable materials to reduce airline’s environmental footprint.

Bringing a digital touch to sustainability, IDX HAVACILIK ÇÖZÜMLERİ VE BİLİŞİM TEKNOLOJİLERİ TİCARET A.S will showcase its cutting-edge, AI-driven, and cloud-based retail platform designed to modernise in-flight ‘buy on board’ experiences. Its technology focuses on personalised recommendations for passengers, aiming to boost sales for airlines. Also in the digital space, Nature’s Source will introduce its Carbon Tracking Platform, an all-in-one solution for eco-friendly packaging clients, offering real-time carbon footprint tracking, environmental goal monitoring, and carbon neutrality strategies.

Pierre-A. FRANCOIS, Global Aviation Business Director at Callington: “Navigating sustainability onboard can be complex for any airline. That’s why the Steps to Sustainability trail at WTCE is so valuable, offering a clear pathway to practical solutions. We’re excited to be part of the 2025 lineup, showcasing how our exclusive and unique NetZEROco₂  product line of safe chemical solutions for inflight appearance and onboard hygiene, air-freshening and biosecurity disinfection, delivers eco-conscious choices that both drive effective carbon footprint reduction and enhanced passenger experience.”

WTCE Event Manager, Shona Thomson, said: “This year’s Steps to Sustainability exhibitors prove that airlines don’t need to compromise on luxury, personalisation, or taste to meet the demands of sustainability and environmental savings. In fact, they’re showing the industry exactly how to elevate the passenger experience through conscious choices. We’re looking forward to seeing this year’s trail come to life at WTCE and give onboard services professionals a guide on how to succeed in what can be an overwhelming market.”

The Steps to Sustainability feature, will sit alongside the Wellbeing Walk Through which features companies WESSCO International, Procurall Solutions, 4700BC Gourmet Snacks, Nairn’s Oatcakes, Whittard of Chelsea, and more; and the inaugural Tech Trail featuring Uniso AG and more to give exhibitors a practical guide to the key trend areas shaping the future of onboard services.

WTCE is co-located with the industry-renowned Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). Both shows will be taking place at the Hamburg Messe from 8-10 April 2025 and will come together to provide passenger experience professionals with the opportunity to network and explore new products, services, and solutions.

For more information on World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2025 and to register for free, please visit: https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/en-gb.html