Incremental environmental cost of flown luggage

[zero]

Certain items can only be used, reused, or recycled in certain countries. For one reason or another, these items come to exist in other countries.

It is possible for the items to be transported, by air, from the countries where they cannot be used or recycled, to the countries where they can be used and recycled. Individuals or businesses may be able to make a profit from this. If someone is flying anyway and does not use their entire baggage allowance, they could carry these items at no extra financial cost to themselves. If airfares are cheap enough someone could even take a completely unnecessary trip because they can make money.

Of course, every additional amount of weight that is transported by air, requires burning more fuel.

I am wondering whether such a business could be considered ethical on environmental grounds. This could be for two reasons: 1) if the items are in a country where they can't be used, then the countries where they can be used would need to produce more. 2) the items in a country where they can't be used or recycled would have to be discarded.

Therefore, flying the items to places where they are useful, may reduce unnecessary production/manufacturing, and reduce waste to landfill or that otherwise pollutes the environment.

So my question is, could transporting items by air ever be outweighed by some other environmental benefits, or is it likely that burning jet fuel is always the most polluting? Let's assume that the items cannot be prevented from going to places where they are not useful.

Sorry for being very vague but I want to see if this gets any answers without giving examples. Also obviously there are smugglers who fly illegal goods, but the things I am thinking about are all legal to transport, and I am only thinking from an environmental perspective.

 

[birchesgreen]

I remember hearing about a service somewhere that you would hire clothing at your destination rather than take it with you. Before you flight you would give the service your measurements and some basic taste preferences and when you arrive there would be a box of clothing waiting for you. When you leave (in the clothes you arrived in) you simply returned the box.

 

[edwin_m]

I guess it depends on what the items are and how far they are being flown. You could compare the carbon saved by recycling per kg of whatever the item is, against the additional carbon footprint (accounting for high altitude effects) of adding 1kg of extra weight to the flight.

I'd also question why it is necessary to use air transport. It's unlikely the transport would be time-critical, and alternative modes would be less environmentally damaging.

Finally there's the security issue. Although "did you pack your own bags" seems to be less prevalent these days, there are risks around offering to carry items supplied by someone you don't know.