The drive to minimise plastic waste has seen Alaska Airlines outlaw the use of plastic cups on their aircraft, the company’s fleet of planes completing the transition to paper cups on January 25.

The move makes Alaska the first US airline to make the switch which, according to the company, will eliminate 2,200,000lb of plastic waste (55 million plastic cups) from landfills every year – the equivalent in weight of 24 Boeing 737s.

“This is another important step in our journey to eliminate single-use plastics and an important step for the industry to see how product innovations can chart a course to a greener future,” said Todd Traynor-Corey, MD of guest products for Alaska Airlines. In 2018 the company started removing plastic straws and stir sticks from inflight service, and in 2021 it switched from using plastic water bottles to boxed water, another first for the industry.

Alaska Airlines serves more than 120 destinations across the US, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.