SFO Bans Sale of Single-use Plastic Water Bottles

Beginning August 20, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. The new rule, which exempts flavored water, applies to restaurants, cafes and airport vending machines, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

Those who want plain water can buy refillable aluminum or glass bottles if they don’t bring their own. The move is part of a broader plan at the airport to cut net carbon emissions and energy use to zero and eliminate most landfill waste by 2021. As a department of San Francisco’s municipal government, the airport is following an ordinance approved in 2014 banning the sale of plastic water bottles on city-owned property, the Chronicle reports.

In addition, airlines around the globe are looking at how they can reduce the amount of waste generated during flights.

Insider reports that the International Air Transport Association estimates that roughly 6.7 million tons of waste was generated onboard aircraft last year. And roughly 23 percent of the waste generated is from “viable food and beverages,” according to the report.

San Francisco Chronicle has more information:

Many travelers at San Francisco International Airport think nothing of buying a plastic water bottle on the way to a flight.

Starting Aug. 20, that won’t be possible.

In an unprecedented move for a major American airport, SFO is banning the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. The new rule — which exempts flavored water — will apply to restaurants, cafes and vending machines in the airport. Fliers needing plain water will have to buy refillable aluminum or glass bottles if they don’t bring their own.

Read the full article here.

Insider has more:

A surprising amount of trash is generated every time you fly — from wasted food to discarded plastic cutlery, packaging, and bathroom waste.

Every flight, the standard passenger produces an average of 1.43 kilograms (3.15 pounds) of waste before leaving the aircraft, according to a 2014 study— and, as air traffic increases, so does the amount of waste produced.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has estimated that roughly 6.1 million tonnes (6.7 million US tons) of waste were generated onboard aircraft in 2018. A year earlier, 5.7 million tonnes (6.3 million US tons) of waste was generated.

Read the full article here.