Alaska Airlines has partnered with Lonely Whale to remove plastic stir straws and citrus picks from its flights beginning July 16. The move supports the airline’s broader sustainability target to reduce in-flight waste per passenger by 70 percent.
In 2017 Alaska Airlines handed out about 22 million plastic stir straws and citrus picks. Those items are not recyclable and can harm marine animals and birds when they enter the environment. Going forward, the airline will replace plastic stir sticks with white birch and use bamboo citrus picks. Non-plastic, marine-friendly straws will still be available upon request.
“Whether providing fantastic service or leading in sustainability, caring about people and communities is in our DNA,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, vice president of external relations at Alaska Airlines. “We fly to some of the most beautiful places on earth, including communities that depend on healthy oceans. We’re pleased to work with Lonely Whale to take this next step in our sustainability journey and help keep the places we live and fly beautiful for years to come. It’s especially appropriate now as ending plastic pollution was the theme for Earth Day.”
Jackie Drumheller, the airline’s sustainability manager, added that the change builds on an employee-led recycling program: “We’re thrilled to take the next step to protect our land and oceans by removing single-use, non-recyclable plastic straws from our planes.”
Alaska Airlines has already taken other steps to reduce waste. The carrier switched from bottled beer to aluminum cans, which are lighter and easier to recycle, and flight crews now refill passengers’ plastic cups during beverage service instead of offering new cups throughout the flight. Since the airline began auditing its recycling programs in 2010, it has reduced passenger waste sent to landfills by 54 percent and cut total waste roughly in half. Flight attendants have helped collect about 12,000 tons of recyclable material during that time.
These changes reflect a continuing effort to minimize environmental impact through product substitutions, operational adjustments, and employee engagement, while still providing quality service to customers.