At the World Cargo Symposium, LATAM Cargo presented a set of practical initiatives focused on reducing wood waste in its cargo operations, demonstrating how employee-driven ideas can scale into measurable environmental impact across the region.
At the World Cargo Symposium, LATAM Cargo Group showcased key milestones in its sustainability journey, highlighting hands-on circular economy initiatives that are transforming how the company manages waste—particularly through the responsible reuse of wood.
As part of its corporate sustainability strategy—focused on shared value, climate change, and circular economy—the company has implemented practical solutions that significantly reduce material consumption, improve operational efficiency, and foster a culture of reuse.
“These projects didn’t require complex technology—just people committed to doing things better,” said Daniel Leng, COO of LATAM Cargo Group, during his presentation at the IATA’s World Cargo Symposium. “Sustainability starts with simple actions and a genuine will to improve.”
In Miami, LATAM Cargo Group implemented a system to collect, assess, repair, and reintroduce these leftover wooden skids into daily operations. If a skid is beyond repair, it is sent for recycling. Since the start of the program, the initiative has eliminated the need for 117 tons of new wood annually and reduced imported wood purchases by 50%—equivalent to 405 tons.
In Chile, the company replaced wooden skids used in domestic cargo operations with custom-designed plastic ones, made from recycled beverage crates in partnership with a local recycler. These red, weather-resistant skids have eliminated the use of an additional 30 tons of wood per year while improving reuse and tracking.
Beyond operational reuse, LATAM has extended the life cycle of recovered wood through community-focused initiatives. In Colombia, wood collected from cargo processes is transformed into furniture and decorative items for company facilities. In Chile, employees can apply to reuse this wood for personal or community projects—from building terraces to constructing playgrounds and small housing structures—repurposing around 60 tons of wood each year.
Altogether, these actions have helped reduce or recover more than 600 tons of wood annually in LATAM’ s cargo operations in these countries.
