Most of everything that comes off a Gulfstream, either at a midlife update or end-of-life, is recyclable in some way

Gulfstream uses a broad, multi-pronged approach to reduce its impact on the environment. In addition to complying with regulatory concerns, we continuously strive to reduce waste throughout our business. This nearly always lessens our environmental impact.

Gulfstream uses a broa d, multi-pronged approach to reduce its impact on the environment. In addition to complying with regulatory concerns, we continuously strive to reduce waste throughout our business. This nearly always lessens our environmental impact.

Manufacturing

In manufacturing, Gulfstream concentrates its efforts on three primary areas: materials of concern (MOCs), energy consumption, and our lean six-sigma/continuous improvement culture.

MOCs are those materials that contribute to a larger footprint, such as the coating or painting processes that use hexavalent chromium. In order to comply with regulations, such as the European Union’s registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances (REACh) initiative, as well as a desire to improve our own materials and processes, Gulfstream has made efforts to find a lowerimpact replacement process. The company is working on other MOC areas as well.

Gulfstream’s energy consumption goals are set through our continuous improvement objectives (CIOs), but the company also addresses employee behaviours and facility infrastructure through its emerging Green Teams, groups of employees dedicated to helping Gulfstream reduce waste, energy and water. Gulfstream’s sustainability office has a significant annual budget to foster improvements.

For the lean six-sigma approach, Gulfstream works top-down and bottom-up. Top-down, the company makes changes eliminating value-destroying and non-value-added activities. Bottom-up, Gulfstream adds new definitions of ‘green wastes’ to the company’s ‘lean waste’ definitions as a way to encourage employees to eliminate wastes from its business and manufacturing processes.

Aircraft Efficiency

The aircraft features most often linked to operational efficiency are engine efficiency, aerodynamic efficiency and low weight. Decisions made at the design level ultimately affects the efficiency of the aircraft. Gulfstream aircraft are able to fly high and fast, above other traffic, allowing frequent operation where the plane is most efficient.

In 2008, Gulfstream promoted environmentally conscious flying through a type of best practice guide called “Performance Procedures for Fuel & CO₂ Conservation.” This document covers all aspects of a flight and provides tips for reducing fuel burn and unnecessary payload.

More recently, the G450 flew the first transatlantic flight using a 50-50 blend of camelina-derived fuel and traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel. Biofuels offer a direct benefit in carbon emissions, lowering the environmental impact of business aviation.

Furthermore, Gulfstream chooses aircraft materials based on their raw environmental impact as well as their safety, reliability and serviceability. Each of these qualities can have an environmental impact, whether on fuel use or local air quality. Gulfstream has a dedicated sustainability team focused on selecting materials that minimise environmental impact over the aircraft’s entire life cycle. This incorporates environmental impact in all of its forms. Fuel burn is important, of course, but so are emission of by-products, excessive waste in production, excessive water use, and a host of other concerns.