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Reduce Airline Waste, Bring Your Own

Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA

Jasmin Malik Chua

By Jasmin Malik Chua
Fri Nov 2, 2007 09:04

Airlines in the United States throw away enough aluminum cans every year to build 58 new 747s, according to the National Resources Defense Council. "It's the same story with paper and plastic," says Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at NRDC.

It may require just a bit more preplanning, but consider bringing your own plastic or bamboo flatware for reuse when you fly, so you can hand back the prepackaged utensil set to the flight attendant. (We doubt metal ones would get past security in these paranoid times.)

You can also tote along your own SIGG or other reusable bottle to fill up with water on the plane (so you don't have to rely on those little plastic cups to stay hydrated), as well as bring your own commuter mug for hot beverages such as tea and coffee. These may sound like minor details, but you'll cut down on a prodigious amount of waste-or more specifically, 1.3 pounds of trash per passenger-simply by translating some of your ground-level BYO habits into the air.

Difficulty level: Easy

 
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