MANILA -- Singapore Airlines (SIA) is enhancing its environmentally-sustainable practices, and targets to become entirely plastic straw-free by September, an executive in its Philippine office said on Friday.
The move is the carrier's way of being environmentally responsible and promoting sustainability.
Lee Yong Tat, SIA general manager, said the carrier is committed to reducing the use of single-use plastics, providing alternative materials for in-flight items.
"We aim to become entirely plastic straw-free by September," Lee told the Philippine News Agency (PNA), adding that SIA started removing plastic straws on-board since 2018.
Paper straws will be used instead. Also, SIA targets replacing plastic swizzle sticks with wood-based ones by next month, he added.
Since May, SIA have replaced the polybags packaging of children's toys with recyclable material. The toys are being given to children travelers.
Meanwhile, SIA has been exerting efforts to reduce food wastage. In 2018, the airline started conducting surveys, gather data analytics, staff feedback and coordinated with its caterers to minimize food wastage.
According to Lee, SIA is currently exploring on automated data collection as well as in using AI (artificial intelligence) to better know or predict the customers' consumption patterns.
Knowing their consumption patterns would help SIA adjust the food quantities to further minimize wastage, Lee said.
SIA flies between Manila and Singapore four times daily. Its regional wing, SilkAir, flies 14 times weekly from Cebu, and once daily from Davao. (PNA)
