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Last year, I wrote about Delta Air Lines testing reusable plastic cups on its flights. This test must not have been that successful as it was never rolled out fully. Now, Alaska Airlines trialed a similar initiative on a flight between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).
To celebrate National Reuse Day (October 20th), Alaska gave passengers the chance to try out reusable r.Cups. The roundtrip flight where these were passed out was part of a feasibility study aimed at exploring new ways to reduce onboard waste. The cups are reusable and are meant to be collected, sanitized, and then reused. I’m not a big fan of this idea and would prefer glass cups, but I realize that this is not feasible for the entire aircraft.
Alaska has made other efforts to reduce waste. These include:
- Alaska was the first airline to deliver a plastic-free beverage service to guests onboard when it swapped out plastic cups with responsibly sourced Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)-certified paper cups and reusable glassware in First class back in January 2023. This transition eliminated 55 million plastic cups annually.
- Boxed Water™ replaced plastic water bottles in 2021. The cartons used for Boxed Water™ are made from from 92% plant-based materials.
- A national partnership with the Surfrider Foundation led to a series of West Coast beach cleanups.
- Letting passengers preorder meals has resulted in a 61% reduction of food waste in 2023 compared to 2019, which is equivalent to 460,000 meals.
- Plastic straws and stir sticks were removed from aircraft in 2018.
Ryan Spies, Alaska Airlines’ Managing Director of Sustainability, said:
This feasibility study will help us better understand additional ways we can cut onboard waste. While we are only running a limited test at this point, we hope to gain valuable lessons and learnings that we can bring forward.”
Anthony’s Take: I’m sketched out by the thought of using a plastic cup that someone else drank from. I get that they’re cleaned, but it still doesn’t sit right. I commend Alaska’s initiative, but would prefer recyclable paper cups or glassware in premium cabins.
(Image Credits: Alaska Airlines.)
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2 comments
Why don’t they just use glasses? I understand the weight issues, but they could be reused hundreds of times, and people would like them better. Better yet, give out glasses with Alaska logos on them so you can take them home if you want. It’s cheap advertising, and they can still reuse the ones that are left in the cabin.
Two words: Bite marks.