Delta Airlines is making strides in its commitment to environmental responsibility by exploring solutions to reduce its environmental footprint.
As part of this effort, the airline has initiated a trial of reusable cups for serving drinks to its customers during flights, as opposed to disposable options that contribute to pollution. This move comes as Delta Airlines continues its mission to identify and implement sustainable practices across its operations.
The airline's endeavor to find the perfect reusable cup has proven to be more challenging than anticipated. The chosen alternative must consider factors like weight, durability, and compatibility with various beverages, including hot, cold, and alcoholic drinks, all while ensuring a consistent customer experience.
While they have tested disposable paper cups as a sustainable option, finding a balance between eco-friendliness and functionality remains a top priority.
The journey towards sustainability started in 2022 when Delta Airlines first experimented with reusable plastic cups.
Although the current trial is limited to just two round-trip flights annually, it represents a crucial step towards adopting greener practices on a larger scale. The recent test flights, connecting Los Angeles to Atlanta and Atlanta to Paris, were part of this ongoing endeavor.
Come fly the eco-friendly skies
The airline limited itself and decided that in the next two years it will try to minimize the amount of single-use plastic on all its flights, but so far, this experiment has been mainly limited to replacing plastic utensils and drink stirrers with alternatives made from bamboo.
Additionally, as part of its sustainability policy, Delta managed to avoid using the plastic packaging that encased the blankets given to the passengers. Now, the blankets' packaging is made from material extracted from recycled bottles.
However, if airlines are to take sustainability seriously, they will definitely need to dramatically reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.
In the near term, Delta is examining whether to carry less drinking water on its flights, since this may affect the amount of carbon emissions, but in any case - the airlines understand very well that sustainable fuels for aviation are the key to dramatically reducing the enormous carbon dioxide emissions caused by passenger planes today.