Alaska Airlines has become the first carrier in the United States to completely eliminate single-use plastic cups from its inflight beverage service as the Seattle-based airline sets its sights on a 2025 goal to replace the top five waste-producing items with more environmentally friendly options.
Instead of plastic cups, Alaska Airlines will now use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups for both hot and cold beverages served in the Economy Cabin. On the majority of flights, First Class passengers will be served beverages in reusable glassware of china cups.
Alaska Airlines first embarked on its mission to eliminate single-use plastic back in 2018 when the carrier swapped out plastic straws and stir sticks for bamboo alternatives.
Again, Alaska was the first airline in the U.S. to ditch plastic straws and other airlines, including American and Delta Air Lines, quickly followed.
The airline claims this latest sustainability initiative should eliminate 55 million plastic cups which is the equivalent in weight of 24 Boeing 737s. Internationally, a number of other airlines, including Spanish flag carrier Iberia, have already dumped single-use plastic cups with little complaint from passengers.
In 2021, Alaska said it hoped to eliminate 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics per year by swapping out plastic water bottles for cardboard boxed water supplied by Michigan-based ‘Boxed Water Is Better’.
“Although we have an industry-leading recycling program, the reality is that we need to move to renewable options,” commented Alaska’s managing director of guest products, Todd Traynor-Corey.
Alaska Airlines has announced its intention to reach net zero by 2040, alongside five-year plans to dramatically slash waste and boost recycling. The airline has created its own investment arm to help fund and nurture emerging technology that will help it on its path to reaching net zero.
“Instead of plastic cups, Alaska Airlines will not use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups”
So what will it use then? I think you meant NOW instead of NOT
‘Now’ is, of course, exactly what I meant to write! Thank you
Where does paper from?
Paper cups sometimes have limited ability to be recycled because of plastic lining. However, I do believe they are a greener choice. In contrast, plastic bag bans harm the environment. In many places, the legal alternative is thicker plastic bags, which are supposed to be reused. However, in reality, they are reused once, just like the thin plastic bags reused as garbage liners. The thick bags take much more plastic to manufacture. That is why politicians are harmful and dumb.