Alaska Airlines Eliminates Single-Use Plastic

Alaska Airlines, one of America’s most coveted airlines, is taking steps to stand out from competitors with its recent press release announcing another milestone in its eco-friendly sustainability goals.

Alaska Airlines has switched from using plastic cups and bottles to paper cups and boxes onboard. As has been the case in recent years, Alaska Airlines is the first airline in the United States to achieve this environmentally friendly milestone.

What to anticipate

Alaska Airlines eliminates single-use plastic onboard
Alaska Airlines’ plastic cups elimination campaign infographics | © Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines hopes to achieve the following goals by switching from plastic to paper:

  • Replace over 55 million plastic cups each year with a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative.
  • Reduce the amount of plastic in landfills by 2.2 million pounds per year, which is the equivalent of 24 Boeing 737 aircraft.
  • Contribute to the airline’s eco-friendly sustainability goals.
  • Get closer to achieving its goal of living and flying in a beautiful world.
  • Take a step towards achieving its 2025 goal to eliminate its top five waste sources across its operations.

A reliable partner

Transitioning from plastic bottles and cups to paper boxes and cups is easy to visualise on the sketch board, but it requires tremendous work and dedication to achieve that goal. The transition from plastic to paper is now a reality for Alaska Airlines thanks to its reliable eco-product partner, Boxed Water. Boxed Water provides the means for organisations and bodies to achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to an eco-friendly world by providing these bodies with reusable, sustainable, and eco-friendly products.

Alaska Airline leads the use of paper cups onboard with its Boxed Water partnership
Alaska Airlines staff pouring water from a recyclable paper box into a recyclable paper cup | © Ingrid Barrentine, Alaska Airlines

The new onboard beverage experience

Following Alaska Airlines’ transition from plastic to paper cups, passengers will have a new beverage experience onboard Alaska Airlines flights. The main difference in experience is that Alaska Airlines will now pack passengers’ water in paper boxes and serve beverages in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) paper cups in the lower seat classes and reusable glassware in the airline’s first class.

The box and paper cups from Boxed Water, including the box caps, are entirely recyclable. The materials used to make these products consist of 92% plant materials, making them a truly eco-friendly alternative to plastic.

Global awareness of global crises has been increasing over the years, and companies are continuously looking for ways to implement sustainable solutions to this global crisis in their operations. It is a healthy and applaudable effort to make the world a better place and preserve life as we know it.

Alaska Airlines is doing its bit to contribute to the sustainability of global life by achieving its set sustainability goals, one year at a time, and encouraging its passengers to do the same. What are you contributing to the sustainability and preservation of life?

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Bisiriyu Sulaiman
Bisiriyu Sulaiman
Aviation Reporter - An aviation reporter at Travel Radar, Bisiriyu is an an experienced content having written freelance for a number of remote publications and brands.
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