Drink straws made from actual straw and bamboo drink stirrers will soon replace plastic straws and stirrers on American Airlines flights, the Associated Press reports.
The airline also announced that it would transition away from plastic flatware and towards more eco-friendly alternatives in its airport lounges in the coming months.
Bamboo stirrers will replace plastic ones on American Airlines flights starting in November. The airline said the changes will save 71,000 pounds of plastic each year.
Alaska Airlines also has announced plans to phase out plastic straws, although plastic is still in use at the other major US airlines.
The announcement comes amid a sustained campaign to eliminate plastic straws and cut down on the amount of plastic waste that goes into landfills and the world’s oceans.
Starbucks is among a number of food companies that have pledged to stop using plastic straws; the company says it will replace the straws and polystyrene foam cups by 2020. Hyatt Hotels will cease the use of plastic straws by September 2018.
Many other US restaurants and companies have switched to offering straws only upon request, or have replaced plastic straws with paper or other biodegradable alternatives.
