In case banning plastic straws on land in every Starbucks wasn’t exciting enough for you, the skies will soon be free of plastic straws as well. Many airlines including United Airlines, Alaskan Airlines and Virgin Australia are ditching their plastic straws in favour of bamboo straws and other biodegradable alternatives.
Why? Companies all over the world are starting to step up their commitment to sustainable alternatives. Airlines are jumping on board and closing the cabin door on plastic pollution in the environment.
Small steps lead to a large impact
Just taking out one small piece of the plastic ecosystem might seem small, but as more airlines begin to start implementing their strawless policies - the changes will begin to add up. In fact, according to Virgin Australia, the shift will save them more than 260,000 plastic straws and 7.5 million plastic stirrers per year. That means there will be 260,000 fewer straws polluting the environment and causing danger to wildlife every year just based on the actions of one company.
Plastic pollution is an enormous threat to the environment, and making sustainable policies is one way that companies in every industry, whether they be airlines or not, can make small changes for a big impact.
As more airlines and cities around the world begin to ban plastic straws, it’s a reminder that even the smallest change is still a massively positive thing.
Sustainability at the forefrontUnited Airlines is the third-largest US carrier for flights and operates 4,600 flights a day. Last year, they carried 148 million passengers from destinations all around the world. From November onwards, that translates to thousands of flights and millions of passengers that won’t use straws. So, perhaps it seems like just a straw - but it’s a whole new lifestyle of becoming more sustainable and mindful about the environment, one strawless airline at a time.
Written by Gabriella Gricius