Air India, subsidiaries to ban single-use plastic from Gandhi Jayanti

Air India on Thursday announced that the usage of single-use plastic on the flights of its subsidiaries -- Air India Express and Alliance Air -- will stop from October 2, on the day of Gandhi Jayanti.

In the second phase, the single-use plastic will be banned in all Air India flights, it said.

In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged people to shun single-use plastic and encouraged usage of jute and cloth bags to protect the environment.

"Air India is going to ban single-use plastic from 2nd October. In first phase it will implement in all flights of Air India Express and Alliance Air flights. In 2nd phase, it will be implemented in Air India flights," an Air India spokesperson said.

He said banana chips and sandwiches on Alliance Air flights and Air India Express flights will be packed in butter paper pouches instead of plastic pouches from October 2.

Cake slices uplifted in snack boxes will be replaced with muffins to avoid the present plastic wrapping, the spokesperson said.

He said crew meal cutlery will be replaced with light weight steel cutlery and only sturdy paper cups would be used to serve tea and coffee.

For special meals that are ordered and paid for by passengers in advance, the crew of Alliance Air and Air India Express will only use "eco-friendly birch wood cutlery" from October 2, the spokesperson said.

According to the environment ministry, about 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day in the country and out of which only 13,000-14,000 tonnes are collected.

Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated in India to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi born 2 October.