Pledging to curb plastic waste, Air India all set to ban plastic products in flights from Oct 2
New Delhi, August 29: Gearing up by accelerating the speed, India has been able to achieve its set benchmark when it comes to creating awareness on Swacchta. Dragging the same cleanliness drive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech had asserted the nation to ban use of single plastic waste. Abiding by the same, Air India is all set to impose a ban first use plastic product like bags, cups and straws on all its flights from October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The ban on using plastic will be implemented in all flights of Air India Express and Alliance air flights in the first phase while in the 2nd phase it will be implemented in Air India flights. The ban on plastic product will cover items like plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws etc.
The national carrier Air India will use eco-friendly birch wood cutlery in place of plastic cutlery for special meals while crew meal cutlery will be replaced with light-weight steel cutlery. Plastic tumblers, teacups will be replaced with paper versions.
Handy snacks items like chips and sandwiches are, that presently come packed in plastic pouch which will be replaced by butter paper pouch. Air India will also replace cake slices with muffins so that usage of plastic wrapping can be avoided.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people and government agencies to make India free from single- use plastic, during his Independence Day speech on August 15. PM Modi has said, “Remembering revered Bapu, we should move out of home collecting single-use plastic from homes, streets, chowks, and drains. Municipalities, Municipal corporations, Gram Panchayat should make arrangements to collect single-use plastic. Can we take first big step on 2nd October, towards making India free from single-use plastic?”
PM Narendra Modi had also requested start-up organizations, technicians and entrepreneurs to see what we can do to recycle this plastic.