Earlier this year,Air New Zealandannounced that it would be taking significant steps to cut back on its use of disposable plastics, both in the air and on the ground. It removed all of the single-use water bottles from itsBusiness Premierand Premium Economy cabins, which the airline says will both keep 460,000 bottles out of landfills every year and will cut itscarbon emissionsby more than 660,000 pounds annually. On top of that, it stopped passing out plastic sauce packets to Business Premier customers, swapping them for reusable serving dishes.
And earlier this week, the airline announced that it's trading some of its plastic coffee cups for edible versions instead. The cups for this trial run are being produced by Twiice, an Auckland company whose edible wares are currently being used in more than a dozen coffee shops throughout the country.