All inflight beverages on Alaska flights are now served in Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper cups or reusable glassware for most First-Class services. It is a move which eliminates more than 55 million plastic cups annually and replaces them with a more planet-friendly alternative. The carrier began the process of eliminating its five largest sources of plastic waste in 2018 by removing plastic straws and stir sticks from inflight service.
As part of the sustainability efforts, Alaska continues to pursue product innovations and supply chain advancements to achieve our 2025 goal of replacing the top five waste-producing items from onboard service and continuing to recycle. In 2021, Alaska established climate goals for its impacts in carbon, waste, and water while defining a five-part pathway to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 to keep the places we live and fly beautiful and viable for generations to come.
The airline is also eliminating plastic water bottles in favour of Boxed Water cartons. Boxed Water packages purified water in 100% recyclable cartons made from plant materials, and guests surveyed report that they prefer Boxed Water over plastic-bottled water at a rate of 2-to-1.
