Alaska Airlines prepares to provide First Class passengers with boxed water instead of regular plastic bottles. The move would be part of the airline’s effort to reduce plastic waste on board.
Alaska Airlines announced having stepped into a partnership with an American part philanthropic project Boxed Water which provides 92% plant-based cartons for water. According to the manufacturer company, new carton boxes for water have a 36% lower carbon footprint as well as 43% less fossil fuel in comparison to the regular plastic bottle.
Under the partnership with Boxed Water, Alaska Airlines will become “one of the first” air carriers to reduce the usage of single-use plastic water bottles onboard by replacing them with carton ones while aiming to remove up to 7.2 million plastic bottles each year.
The new packs will first be offered to the First Class passengers onboard the airline’s De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprops starting on May 19, 2020. The company intends to continue the initiative throughout the summer season of 2021.
Having set goals to reduce its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040 as well as waste and water goals for 2025, Alaska Airlines was the first air carrier to withdraw plastic straws and stir sticks in 2018.