In partnership with Boxed Water, Alaska Airlines has launched the U.S. industry’s first water service free of single-use plastic bottles and cups. The carrier has now introduced Main Cabin use of paper cups and Boxed Water cartons after a successful trial.
On Wednesday (November 3, 2021), Alaska Airlines announced that in partnership with Boxed Water, they will eliminate 1.8 million pounds of plastics annually by eliminating single-use plastic bottles and cups. Alaska will become the U.S. industry’s carrier to introduce paper cups and a Main Cabin expansion of Boxed Water cartons. The Boxed Water is Better® brand’s cartons are made from 92 percent plant-based material. Alaska’s new sustainability initiative will remove 22 million plastic cups and 32 million plastic bottles each year, the equivalent weight of 18 Boeing 737s.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Alaska Airlines’ Vice President of Public Affairs and Sustainability, Diana Birkett Rakow, said,
“As a West Coast-based airline, we fly to some of the most beautiful places on earth. Protecting these habitats is critical for our collective future, and reducing plastic waste is a key step. We're proud to partner with Boxed Water on our most impactful plastic-reduction initiative yet, on a continued journey to minimize inflight waste.”
Also commenting on the new sustainability partnership, Boxed Water’s CEO, Daryn Kuipers, said,
“We are grateful to Alaska Airlines for leading the airline industry with bold steps toward plastic waste reduction. Our ability to scale with Alaska from First Class to main cabin in just six months demonstrates both operational feasibility and the interest travelers have in more renewable inflight offerings.”
Alaska Airlines’ Managing Director of Guest Products, Todd Traynor-Corey, added,
“Only 9% of plastic is recycled nationwide - the rest ends up in landfills, burned or in our environment. Although we have an industry-leading recycling program, the reality is that we need to move to renewable options. Getting to this point hasn't been easy. We investigated several options with our supply chain - and this year we finally found a product our guests love and a partner whose mission-driven values mirror our own.”
Alaska Airlines became the first airline to offer guests boxed water in early 2021, with the introduction of the packaged water alternative in First Class and on Horizon Air flights. The trial proved successful, with surveyed fliers preferring Boxed Water over plastic bottled water by two-to-one. Boxed Water is a fully-recyclable carton of water that is sealed with a plant-based cap. The 100 percent pure water is PH neutral and free from additives, and goes through a proprietary multi-step purification process which includes reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, UV light and ozonation.
Alaska Airlines and their regional partners serve over 120 destinations in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. The sustainability-focused carrier emphasizes Next-Level Care for guests, while offering low fares and award-winning service. Alaska has hubs in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Anchorage. The carrier is a member of the oneworld global alliance, and along with their additional partners, Alaska Airlines’ guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 1,000 global destinations on over 20 airlines. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of the Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE: ALK).
Source: Alaska Airlines