Archives for 27 Jun,2018

Plastic cutlery and bottles may become a thing of the past on airplanes, as airlines in India go eco-friendly.

The decision to cut down on plastic has been taken by airlines to comply with Maharashtra government’s rule of banning plastic in the state.

There is still a grey area as to whether the state government’s decision is applicable to airplanes, however, airlines are doing their part.

Use of plastic cutlery is a common practice on flights , especially in economy cabins and low-cost airlines. Other plastic items used on flights include water bottles, food wrappers, trash bags and covers of headphones/blankets.

The government has banned the use of single disposable plastic items such as spoons, forks ,cups and glasses. Items such as plastic bags and wrappers are also included in the ban.

Here’s what domestic airlines are doing to go eco-friendly-

• GoAir has stopped using plastic cutlery on their flights.
• Air India is replacing plastic cups onboard with those made of bone china or paper.
• Vistara will reduce the use of plastic on their flights by 50% this year by replacing plastic casseroles with aluminum dishes, plastic straws and stirrers with paper or wooden ones and disposable bowls in economy class with reusable containers.

According to Vistara, the airline is actively in touch with its vendors and considering alternative ways for packaging water, to avoid the use of plastic. In fact, Vistara is the first airline in India to use ‘Oxo-Biodegradable’ cutlery and serve meals in  Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) certified meal boxes.

Jet Airways has also come out with a statement saying that most equipment onboard is reusable and the airline has been doing its part to minimize environmental impact. They have been using paper cups , bio-degradable bags and insulated boxes for hot and cold items to be served on their flights.

With airlines going green, the ban on plastic items will not only benefit Maharashtra but also have a positive domino effect on other states in India.