Alaska Airlines eliminates plastic cups on board

Alaska Airlines eliminates plastic cups on board

Sustainability

Alaska Airlines is the first U.S. airline to eliminate plastic cups on board.

Alaska Airlines announces the completion of its 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.

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. Alaska Airlines began the process of eliminating its 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.

As part of its broader sustainability efforts, Alaska continues to pursue product innovations and supply chain advancements to achieve its 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.

Alaska Airlines eliminates plastic cups on board
Alaska is the first U.S. airline to eliminate plastic cups on board © Ingrid Barrentine / Alaska Airlines

Here are some of the ways Alaska Airlines is eliminating its top sources of plastic waste on board to reduce its impact on the environment:

  • Eliminating plastic cups on board with responsibly-sourced paper cups.
  • Replacing plastic water bottles with Boxed Water™.
  • Encouraging guests to #FillBeforeYouFly to plant more trees.
  • Ditching plastic straws & stir sticks in 2018.

This article was originally published by Alaska Airlines.

Latest Packaging News

What Washington’s new EPR law means for brands, recyclers, and policymakers
Business

What Washington’s new EPR law means for brands, recyclers, and policymakers

On 17 May 2025, Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5284, officially known as the Recycling...
Unlocking small-batch agility: Kutudeposu chooses Aopack BM2508 box maker
Supplier News

Unlocking small-batch agility: Kutudeposu chooses Aopack BM2508 box maker

Confronted with rising demand for specialised, small-batch packaging, Turkish innovator Kutudeposu...
Snack Connection enhances efficiency with the case packer from Syntegon
Supplier News

Snack Connection enhances efficiency with the case packer from Syntegon

Snack Connection, a leading Netherlands-based manufacturer of nuts, kernels, and seeds, has...
Costco to sell planters made from recycled cartons in collaboration with Tetra Pak & Keter
Supplier News

Costco to sell planters made from recycled cartons in collaboration with Tetra Pak & Keter

Tetra Pak and Keter have announced a new partnership with the launch of Cube Planters made out of...
Reloop report finds 54% less beach litter in countries with DRS
Sustainability

Reloop report finds 54% less beach litter in countries with DRS

Reloop has released its latest report, Littered with Evidence: Proof that Deposit Return Systems...