a woman pouring milk into a cup

In a move that may be a blend of cost-cutting and environmental stewardship, Alaska Airlines is trialing the use of reusable plastic cups in economy class.

Alaska Airlines Considering Reusable Plastic Cups In Economy Class In New Trial

To celebrate National Reuse Day, on Sunday, October 20, 2024, a trial took place on a flight from Seattle (SEA) to Minneapolis (MSP). In partnership with r.World, reusable plastic cups were used for the beverage service in economy class. As Alaska explains:

Designed to be durable and fully reusable, r.Cups are a huge hit among concertgoers and sports fans, and we hope they’ll soon find a place in the hearts of travelers too! These cups reduce waste because they’re designed to be reused instead of tossed aside – helping to eliminate single-use waste. After use, the cups are collected, cleaned and sanitized and made ready for their next journey.

Alaska has already taken steps to avoid plastic waste, including transitioning from disposable plastic cups to paper cups in 2023 (Alaska boasts it saves 55 million plastic cups from landfills each year) and also from plastic water bottles to boxed water in 2021, which is made with 92% plant-based cartons.

Thus far, this is just a test as the cost and energy required to wash and store these reusable cups also has environmental costs. Ryan Spies, Alaska Airlines’ Managing Director of Sustainability, explained:

“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.”

I appreciate this pragmatic approach and do think reusable plastic can work, as long as it does not degrade quickly. For example, the reusable plastic coffee cups on Lufthansa are quite an upgrade over paper or disposable plastic:

a cup of coffee and a box on a table

Does anyone remember the old Aloha Airlines? Until its last few years of operation, it used to serve meals on ceramic dishes and drinks in glasses, even in economy class. That brings weight (therefore increased fuel burn), pilferage, and cleaning concerns as well, but I like that…it’s what Porter does today and one of the things that makes flying Porter such a pleasure.

a glass of water and cookies on a table
Real glasses in economy class on Porter Airlines

The only thing I ask: please no bamboo cutlery. We’ve seen more and more of this and I know it is cheaper and more environmentally friendly, but it just brings back painful memories of tonsil exams and is overall a diguesting way to eat…

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