Alaska Airlines announced today the completion of our transition to paper cups for inflight beverages, a move which eliminates more than 55 million plastic cups annually and replaces them with a more planet-friendly alternative. The change to paper cups makes Alaska Airlines the first U.S. airline to eliminate plastic cups. Combined with our Boxed Water™ partnership, these changes eliminate 2.2 million pounds of plastic waste from landfills every year, the equivalent weight of 24 Boeing 737s.
All inflight beverages on Alaska flights are now served in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups or reusable glassware for most First Class services. We began the process of eliminating our five largest sources of plastic waste in 2018 by removing plastic straws and stir sticks from inflight service – a first for any airline at the time.
In 2021, Alaska continued our progress by eliminating inflight plastic water bottle waste by replacing them with Boxed Water™, another first for airlines. Boxed Water™ cartons are made from renewable FSC certified paper, 92% of which is plant-based, saving an estimated 1.8 million pounds of single-use plastics on our flights annually.
Single-use plastics increase the use of fossil fuels, generate millions of tons of waste to landfills, and pollute waterways and natural spaces. According to the most recent EPA study, an estimated 300 million tons of plastics are produced each year worldwide with the vast majority going unrecycled, either to accumulate in landfills or the environment. While Alaska takes steps to eliminate plastics, we also encourage our guests to join us in reducing waste by bringing their own water bottles to #FillBeforeYouFly.
As part of our broader sustainability efforts, Alaska continues to pursue product innovations and supply chain advancements to achieve our 2025 goal of replacing the top five waste-producing items from onboard service and continuing to recycle. In 2021, Alaska established climate goals for its impacts in carbon, waste and water while defining a five-part pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 to keep the places we live and fly beautiful and viable for generations to come.
In other news, Alaska Airlines has announced an expanded partnership with the Portland Trail Blazers organization, which includes being named the official airline of the NBA team. Portland is a crucial part of Alaska’s future, operating as a key West Coast hub where they serve the most nonstop cities of any airline.
The expanded partnership means Trail Blazers fans will see a lot more of Alaska during games and outside of basketball. Elements of this expanded partnership include sponsorship of Moda Center Theater of the Clouds, presenting “The Trail” docuseries that will soon be available in-flight, expansion of the popular “Wear in the World” promotion, new in-game features and social programs.
Top Copyright Photo: Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 MAX 9 N977AK (msn 43391) LAX (Michael B. Ing). Image: 959480.
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