As part of its targets, British Airways has said it will seek to find alternative materials for its single-use plastic cutlery, cups, and toothpick products
British Airways has already rolled-out initiatives to remove 25 million items of single-use plastic on board its flights (Credit: Pixabay)
British Airways has announced it will remove a quarter of a billion single-use plastic items from its flights by the end of 2020.
The airline has already rolled-out initiatives to remove 25 million single-use plastic products onboard its flights each year, which is equivalent to 90 tonnes.
It has now set itself targets to increase this to more than 700 tonnes.
British Airways’ customer experience manager Kate Tanner said: “Our customers have told us that they want to see these changes and we’re pleased to have made real strides in our journey to becoming more sustainable.
“We’ve spent a long time researching how to make sustainable changes without causing environmental impact elsewhere.
“For instance, we are looking at the amount of water and detergent needed to wash metal cutlery and how often it needs to be replaced versus using plastic or bamboo cutlery.
“We’ve looked at how we ensure blankets and other items can be kept clean without a plastic covering and the lifespan of all the new items compared to the existing ones.
“Some potential replacement options may be heavier, which would then have an impact on the weight of the aircraft and therefore on our emissions, so we must ensure we are making the right choices on all replacements.”
How is British Airways reducing its single-use plastic footprint?
The airline has been working with its suppliers to identify single-use plastic alternatives, with the company replacing as many as possible with reusable or recyclable alternatives this year.
To date, it has swapped its plastic stirrers with products made from bamboo, and replaced the plastic wrapping used for its bedding and blankets with paper packaging.
BA has also reduced the amount of plastic packaging in its Club World amenity kits, with the water bottles on its planes made from 50% recycled plastic.
As part of its target, the firm will seek to find alternatives for single-use plastic cutlery, cups, and toothpicks.
This process has been described as complex by the airline, because a “significant amount of research” is required to ensure the alternatives sourced are credibly sustainable, offer the same hygiene levels as plastic counterparts, and do not outweigh the items they replace.
To mark the switch, the company commissioned eco-artist Sarah Turner to create a giant suitcase made from a thousand pieces of plastic waste.
It included spoons, plastic stirrers, drinks lids, plastic wrap, bubble wrap, catering dishes, covers, and bottles.