Sustainability is in the air, with every airline trying and testing newer and more innovative methods for sustainable aviation and reducing carbon emissions. The latest airline to join the fray is Alaska Airlines offering its passengers a chance to use reusable cups called ‘r.Cups’.
They were strategically selecting the National Reuse Day, October 20, 2024, to use the r.Cups, Alaska Airlines partnered with r.World to take sustainability efforts to the next level with reusable cups.
“This feasibility study with r.Cups will help us explore new ways to reduce onboard waste, aiming to bring sustainable innovations to our fleet and the broader travel industry,” the airline said.
Over the weekend, Alaska flew its first roundtrip feasibility study from Seattle to Minneapolis thus giving the guests the chance to be among the first to try out their reusable r.Cups in the air.
So, what exactly are r.Cups?
- r.Cups are designed to be durable and fully reusable
- they are already a huge hit among concertgoers and sports fans
- these cups reduce waste because they’re designed to be reused instead of tossed aside
- they help eliminate single-use waste
- After use, the cups are collected, cleaned sanitized, and made ready for their next journey.
Excited to team up with Alaska Airlines to take reuse to new heights Michael Martin, founder and chief executive, r.World says: “Together we’re showing that reuse is an easy way to eliminate single-use waste on flights. Alaska Airlines is leading efforts to bring sustainable innovations to their fleet and overall travel industry.”
As a part of its broader sustainability initiatives, Alaska Airlines is committed to caring for its employees and guests. From immediate actions to long-term investments, Alaska Airlines is focused on cutting carbon emissions, reducing waste, and protecting local ecosystems. Part of this process is trying new things, to understand what works and what doesn’t in the unique operating environment of aviation, with an emphasis on safety, service, and care
Explaining the aim behind this feasibility study, Ryan Spies, managing director, of sustainability, at Alaska Airlines says: “This feasibility study will help us better understand additional ways we can cut onboard waste. While we are only running a limited test at this point, we hope to gain valuable lessons and learnings that we can bring forward.”
Below are some of how Alaska Airlines has reduced single-use plastic.
- In January 2023, Alaska became the first airline to deliver a plastic-free beverage service to guests onboard, swapping out plastic cups with responsibly sourced Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)-certified paper cups, or in First class, reusable glassware. This transition eliminates 55 million plastic cups annually.
- In 2021, the airline replaced plastic water bottles with Boxed Water and continues working to assess and test additional alternative items. Previously, we switched from serving water from plastic water bottles to using Boxed Water, which is served from 92% plant-based cartons.
- Allowing guests to pre-order meals has resulted in a 61% reduction in our food waste in 2023 compared to 2019, equivalent to 460,000 meals.
- In 2018, Alaska became the first US airline to ditch plastic straws and stir sticks on board.
