LONDON: British Airways and Radisson Hotel Group have become the latest hospitality organisations to outline plans to reduce dependence on single-use plastic.
The British flag-carrier announced a new target to remove more than 700 tonnes of single-use plastic on board its flights in 2020.
The airline said this would amount to more than a quarter of a billion individual items of plastic and equivalent to more than 30,000 suitcases full of single-use plastic.
British Airways has already rolled out initiatives to remove 25 million individual items of single-use plastic on board each year, equivalent to 90 tonnes.
To date, the airline has swapped plastic stirrers with bamboo alternatives, reduced plastic packaging on Club World amenity kits, removed inflight retail plastic bags and ensured water bottles on board are made from 50 per cent recycled plastic.
The target also includes finding alternatives to single-use plastic cutlery, tumblers, cups, toothpicks and butter packaging on board.
Kate Tanner, British Airways Customer Experience Manager, said: “Our customers have told us that they want to see these changes and we’re pleased to have made real strides in our journey to becoming more sustainable.
“We’ve spent a long time researching how to make sustainable changes without causing environmental impact elsewhere.”
At the same time, Radisson Hotel Group is launching a global roll-out plan of plastic reduction – including the introduction of bulk amenities in all hotels across the group’s portfolio by 2022.
Radisson Hotel Group will implement bulk amenity dispensers across all brands by the beginning of 2022, replacing small bottles for common bathroom products.
This action will remove 57 million miniature amenities from circulation, avoiding the use of almost 500 tons of plastic annually.
In addition, Radisson Hotel Group has a global commitment to #refuse the straw, ensuring plastic straws and plastic stirrers are no longer used in its hotels by 2021 and eco-friendly alternatives will be offered to guests upon request.
Federico González Tejera, Chief Executive, Radisson Hospitality, said: “Plastic pollution is one of the current major global issues and our Group is proud to play a leading role in driving plastic reduction across the travel and tourism industry.”
The group is also running a series of innovative pilot projects in various locations, with the aim of finding new ways to drive plastic reduction globally.
