It’s another story of recognition TAP employees. Costa Pereira, Captain of the Airline, was awarded by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic, with the Commendation of the Order of Merit, last April.
The purpose of the Order of Merit is "to reward meritorious acts or services practiced in the exercise of any functions, public or private, or that reveal disinterest or self-denial in favor of the community." In case of the now Commander Costa Pereira, this distinction was due to the pioneering work in fighting food waste, as founder of the Zero Waste Movement, to which TAP was the first airline in the world to join in 2015.
Although he has not been connected to the project in TAP for some time, the Airline is proud to see the mentor of the Zero Waste Project recognized. The project will soon have new features, such as its extension to TAP Express, the establishment of new partnerships and the implementation of the programme with catering in Oporto.
TAP joined the Movement at the end of 2015, together with Cateringpor, by taking advantage of surplus food which was not served to passengers on board the Airline’s flights.
In an interview to What's | UP, last October, about the project creation, Commander Costa Pereira remembered: "Now that almost ten years have passed since I started this, I remember times of hard work, a lot of resistance to a much-needed change, but essentially an enormous satisfaction for the results achieved, which were only possible because a group of practicing-citizens accepted and wanted to participate in this Portuguese civic cause.”