Alaska Airlines Eliminates Use of Plastic Straws

Beginning July 16, Alaska Airlines will switch out its plastic straws for compostable straws made of white birch and swap its plastic citrus picks for bamboo ones.

This effort is part of the airline’s goal to reduce its in-flight waste per passenger going to landfills by 70 percent by 2020. The airline has already replaced bottled beer with aluminum cans and switched over to a new refill policy that requires flight attendants to refill plastic drinking cups instead of replacing the cups for every round of beverage service.

WCNC has more details:

Alaska Airlines passengers will soon notice something different when they order in-flight cocktails or coffees.

No, the airline’s not changing a crucial ingredient. But those plastic stirring sticks? They’re about to go the way of paper tickets and empty middle seats.

Alaska Airlines will phase out plastic stirring sticks in favor of compostable versions made of white birch. Citrus picks will switch from plastic to bamboo.

Read the full story here.