Finn is squealing about Alaska Airlines’s bold move!
Hey, guys! Did you hear, did you hear?! Alaska Airlines started to be plastic straw-free this summer!!
Starting July 16, 2018, Alaska Airlines joined forces with the non-profit organization Lonely Whale and began phasing out their plastic stir straws, plastic citrus picks, and large juice boxes. Alaska Airlines says that last year alone they handed out 22 million of these plastic stir straws and picks. They will now replace them with white birch stirrers and bamboo-based picks, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and with recyclable aluminum cans. If a passenger requests a straw, they will be provided with a marine-friendly alternative.
The airline is looking to eliminate 70% of waste generated per passenger going to landfills by 2020. 70%! That’s a big number, but the airline has reduced just over 50% of waste per passenger through their recycling program. Since 2010, they have recycled over 12,000 tons of waste, which is probably why it was the leading U.S. airline in the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Index!
This is exciting news, because it means more companies are becoming aware, and that is because people care and are doing something about protecting my deep blue home!! In fact, 16-year-old Girl Scout Shelby O’Neill made the focus of her 2017 Girl Scout USA Gold Award Project saving the ocean and marine life, and actually reached out to Alaska Airlines to ask them to eliminate the straws last year! Despite the move already being in the works, Shelby O’Neil is an inspiring activist!
I’m so splash-happy, I hope others follow Alaska Airlines’s example soon! In the meantime, Alaska Airlines has some tips for passengers to be green in the sky:
- Don’t put wrappers, napkins or other garbage into cans or bottles.
- Recycle your magazines.
- Bring your own empty water bottle and fill it up once you’ve passed through security.
- Keep recycling and garbage separate until it’s collected.
Love,
Finn
Source: https://newsroom.alaskaair.com/