Are Airlines Greenwashing their branding?: Part II

Welcome to part 2 of ‘Are Airlines Greenwashing their Branding’ series. Today I will be introducing Alaska airlines, JetBlue, and Xiamen airlines…

Alaska Airlines

According to Leafscore, Alaska airlines made history in 2017 when they became the first in the world to use biofuel made from the stumps and branches wasted after a timber harvest, to fuel two commercial flights. Another smaller scale impact that this airline has done is to reduce its reliance on paper products by 50%. They stopped serving straws, and now compost coffee grounds from in-flight beverages.

Moreover, Alaska airlines has recently adopted the usage of boxed water and paper cups instead of plastic water bottles and plastic cups. An article by CNN also stated that “the airline prides itself on reducing plastic in all habitats and landfills.”

Biofuel [noun]

1. A fuel derived immediately from living matter.

Jetblue

Jetblue, an airline based in JFK, offers passengers the ability to compost their food waste in Terminal 5 through its partnership with Royal Waste Services. Additionally, when you depart terminal 5 of JFK airport, you may find the world’s first blue potato farm at an airport grown by JetBlue. This urban farms produce approximately 1000 Ibs. of blue potatoes in one season; they also produce around 2,000 herb plants which are grown using organic methods in recycled milk cartons. 

Furthermore, JetBlue claims that they are “the only airline with a program in place to sort and recycle the bottles and cans served on all domestic flights.” which if proven to be true, would be a step in the right direction, environmentally speaking.

Xiamen Airlines

Xiamen Airlines, an airline based in China, aligns itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for environmental protection. The airline exhibits their commitment to these goals through a series of themed flights, celebrating earth biodiversity through meals, souvenirs, and in-flight entertainment. 

Adding on, they are the first airline to introduce Egret Bamboo, which are a series of green products such as paper cups, trays and tableware, as substitutes for their plastic counterparts. As a result of these innovative and eco-friendly replacements, Xiamen has reduced the use of plastic cups by “15.92 million in 2021, totalling 167.16 tons.” 

Besides that, Xiamen has also claimed to have launched “ChefXiamenAir”, which is a brand to develop sustainable meals based on the concept of “Revive your taste”, although the website is slightly unclear about the sustainable aspect of this venture, so this could be an example of greenwashing.