A garbage team: United Airlines and Sesame Street partner on green education campaign
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United Airlines has a new "chief trash officer," and his name is Oscar the Grouch.
That's right: the Chicago-based carrier paired up with Sesame Workshop on an education campaign to help travelers better understand how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) works, especially focusing on how SAF can be made from onboard waste.
United executives said that sustainable aviation fuel can be complicated to understand and that the partnership will go a long way toward helping make the technology more comprehensible to the average traveler. Sesame Workshop has a long history of explaining complex topics in easy-to-understand terms, executives said on a press call announcing the campaign.
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"Every airline burns jet fuel to run their business, but no airline will solve climate change on its own. So United has enlisted Oscar to help us educate the traveling public of all ages about SAF and rally them to the cause of fighting climate change," United chief communications officer Josh Earnest said in a statement. "From banana peels to fryer grease, Oscar is uniquely qualified to help us explain why trash could be the treasure that fuels the jets of the future."
The campaign should run through at least the end of the year and will include social media promotions, digital advertisements and other installations.
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“This campaign provided a special opportunity to showcase an iconic Sesame Street character, Oscar the Grouch, celebrating what he loves best – trash," Sesame Workshop's vice president of global strategic partnerships and themed entertainment Jennifer Ahearn said in a statement. "The amazing collaboration helps United Airlines explain in simpler terms the technology of turning trash into fuel in a fun and engaging manner."
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What is SAF?
Sustainable aviation fuel is a technology that powers jets without needing to drill for traditional petroleum. It can be produced from food waste, agricultural feedstock, other biomaterials like algae and wood pulp, and even from carbon dioxide pulled directly out of the atmosphere.
Check out USA TODAY's full explainer on what SAF is and how it works.
Other sustainable aviation developments
In addition to the Oscar the Grouch partnership, United recently announced an investment fund to support SAF-development projects. And the U.S. Air Force recently signed a deal with Air Company, a sustainable aviation fuel startup that produces fuel directly from atmospheric carbon dioxide. That agreement will allow Air Company to further develop its technology and eventually produce SAF directly on military bases.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is SAF? Oscar the Grouch helps United Airlines explain green fuel
