by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:11 AM ET, Wed May 5, 2021
Alaska Airlines has partnered with Boxed Water Is Better to remove all single-use plastic bottles in First Class and to replace them with Boxed Water, which is packaged in 92 percent plant-based cartons.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the airline industry generated 6.7 million tons of cabin waste in 2018. The move by Alaska Airlines will remove 7.2 million plastic bottles a year, which is around 98,000 pounds of plastic. The airline is the first to address this issue and adopt water cartons as a solution.
Earlier this year, Boxed Water was used on Alaska's Horizon Air flights earlier this year and will expand on May 5 to first class on all Alaska flights. The airline will also resume recycling cans, bottles and water bottles beginning May 19, a service which was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline recommends bringing a reusable water bottle and filling it up prior to boarding as the best option for sustainability.
Alaska Airlines has been committed to sustainability for years; its recycling initiative began fifteen years ago, was the first airline to remove plastic straws and stir sticks in 2018 and has been a carbon neutral airline since 2019. It plans to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2040.
Boxed Water's cartons and caps are 92 percent plant-based. Boxed Water has a 36 percent lower carbon footprint and uses 43 percent less fossil fuels than plastic counterparts. Its water is purified through an eight-step process and is pH neutral.
"At Alaska, sustainability is part of our culture, values, and how we run our airline," said Diana Birkett Rakow, vice president of public affairs and sustainability at Alaska Airlines. "While we know our greatest impact is through carbon emissions, every decision we make, including how we source the products we serve on board, is important. Our new partnership with Boxed Water enables us to offer our guests a significantly more renewable packaged water option. We've received positive feedback from employees and guests and are excited to be expanding to more flights."
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