Air Canada to Replace Plastic Stirrers with Bamboo Alternative

Air Canada has unveiled a plan to reduce single-use plastics onboard aircraft and in its workplaces.

Starting in summer 2019, Air Canada will replace plastic with bamboo stirrers in drinks served on all flights, a move that will save 35 million plastic stirrers annually – enough if laid end-to-end to join Halifax and Vancouver.

"Air Canada has made sustainability central to its decision-making and business processes, including acting responsibly with respect to the environment. Through seemingly small measures such as eliminating plastic stir sticks, to major investments such as our $10 billion fleet modernization, we are making great strides in our ongoing sustainability programs, notably improving fuel efficiency by 43% since 1990," said Teresa Ehman, Director of Environmental Affairs at Air Canada.

Air Canada's stir stick replacement will be made of bamboo and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which assures products come from responsible sources so that forests remain thriving environments for generations to come.

Looking out to 2020, Air Canada has set environmental targets to reduce waste sent to landfills from offices, facilities and Maple Leaf Lounges by 20%, or just under the equivalent weight of two empty Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and to recycle 50% of approved items onboard.

Waste reduction at Air Canada is about more than recycling paper and aluminum cans. For example, since 2016 Air Canada has partnered with Partners in Project Green to distribute lightly used duvets to social service agencies that assist people in need and other duvets are donated to local kennels. To date over 13,000 duvets have been donated, equivalent to over 20,000 kilograms of material.

Additionally, when Air Canada announced new uniforms in 2017, creative solutions to reduce landfill waste were identified:

- Employee uniform pieces were donated to Brands for Canada who removed all branding and offered the items to people re-entering the workforce, without the means to purchase new clothes, and hoping to begin new careers.

- Uniforms shredded and repurposed into stuffing for punching bags that were donated to community centres, converted into alternative items such as automotive stuffing or incinerated to generate energy.

See also: Hotel Waste, Single-Use Plastic and Climate Change - Interview with WWF.

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