Delta Airlines removes single use plastics on board planes

America’s Delta Airlines has embarked on the removal of a variety of single-use plastic items, including stir sticks, wrappers, utensils and straws from its aircraft and Delta Sky Clubs.

The ongoing effort came on the heels of the global airline’s leading move to remove plastic wrap from international Main Cabin cutlery in April, and is expected to eliminate more than 300,000 pounds in plastic waste annually  that’s more than the weight of two Boeing 757 aircraft.

Other moves said to be contributing to Delta’s long-time sustainability efforts include: the elimination of unnecessary plastic wrapping from Delta One amenity kits, and reducing Styrofoam in the cafeterias at Delta’s Atlanta headquarters in favor of compostable and/or reusable alternatives. Delta’s Minneapolis office campus ditched Styrofo?am altogether in 2015.

This is just as the airline has formed a Youth Advisory Council to help guide the airline’s efforts to minimize the use of single-use plastics and support other sustainability initiatives.

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Speaking on the development, Christine Boucher, Managing Director,  Global Environment, Sustainability & Compliance, Delta Air Lines declared: “We’re looking broadly at how we can adjust our sourcing and behaviors to have 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, and we’re looking forward to working with young thought leaders like Carter, Emma, Olivia and Shelby to build an even more creative and impactful approach.”?