Alaska Airlines Ditches Plastic Cups, a First for U.S. Carriers

Alaska Airlines has now become the first U.S. carrier to completely eliminate the use of plastic cups onboard, a move it says will positively impact the environment and reduce harmful waste.

Airlines use tons of plastic cups each year, so Alaska hopes its efforts are helping it become one of the most environmentally-friendly airlines in the U.S.

Alaska’s New Paper Cups

Rather than serving up beverages in plastic, Alaska will now be utilizing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups in Main Cabin. If you’re seated in first class, you’ll continue to enjoy your beverages in glassware that’s washed and reused after each flight.

Previously, Alaska eliminated the use of plastic stir sticks and plastic straws from service, so this move is certainly not entirely surprising by any means.

In 2021, Alaska moved to serve Boxed Water onboard its flights. This water, served in containers similar to milk cartons, helps reduce plastic waste. Unfortunately, this move hasn’t been entirely popular with flyers as the water has a very distinguishable aftertaste that isn’t so pleasant. It looks like Alaska has no intentions of replacing the Boxes Water anytime soon, so the cartons are likely here to stay.

Bottom Line: With the new paper cup initiative and the Boxed Waters introduced in 2021, Alaska says it now saves over 2.2 million pounds of plastic from landfills every year — the weight of about 24 Boeing 737s (wow!).

Alaska certainly isn’t the first airline with sustainability on its mind. Delta has moved from plastic to bamboo cutlery, while United has explored different types of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). These efforts combined will ideally positively impact our planet and hopefully reduce harmful waste that speeds up the process of global warming.

Final Thoughts

Alaska is taking another big step towards reducing waste, and customers will notice the new cups immediately. Reducing plastics is an easy way to reduce waste, and with the number of cups served each year, Alaska knows this is one area where moving to paper cups just makes sense.