Delta is removing more single-use plastic items from its aircraft and Sky Clubs, including drinks stirrers, wrappers, utensils and straws.
The ongoing effort comes on the heels of the airline's initiative to remove plastic wrap from international Main Cabin cutlery in April, which is expected to eliminate more than 150 tons in plastic waste annually ?more than the weight of two Boeing 757 aircraft.
Other initiatives contributing to the airline's long-time sustainability efforts include the elimination of unnecessary plastic wrapping from Delta One amenity kits and reducing use of Styrofoam in its American offices. Additionally, Delta has formed a Youth Advisory Council to help guide the airline's efforts to minimise the use of single-use plastics and support other sustainability initiatives.
Christine Boucher, the company?s managing director for Global Environment, Sustainability and Compliance, said: ?We're looking broadly at how we can adjust our sourcing and behaviours to have a greater impact on the local and global communities where we live, work and serve. Reducing single-use plastics is a natural extension of the work we've been doing for years to lead the industry in efforts to reduce our impact on the environment."
The red plastic straws and stir sticks have been replaced in Delta Sky Clubs with environmentally friendly bamboo drink stirrers and birch stir sticks, and customers onboard will see similar changes starting in mid-2019. Together, the changes will eliminate more than 183 million plastic straws and stir sticks from Delta's aircraft and clubs. Compostable straws will be available in clubs for customers upon request.
