Air New Zealand is testing edible coffee cups on board.

Although Air New Zealand had already been transitioning from plastic to biodegradable cups both on board and in its lounges, they continue to explore and experiment with even more environmentally friendly options.

To do this, the airline partnered with Twiice, a New Zealand-based family business specializing in producing edible plant-based cups. The cups currently used on Air New Zealand flights are vanilla-flavored and can withstand the heat of coffee without melting.

Niki Chave, Customer Experience Manager at Air New Zealand, said they serve up to 8 million cups of coffee on board each year. And so far, customers using the Twiice cups have been extremely receptive to the campaign.

Notably, this isn't the only move Air New Zealand has made to become greener in the skies. In July 2019, the airline announced that condiments like salad dressing and soy sauce would be served in reusable small bowls instead of individual plastic packets. Edible cups are the latest project between Air New Zealand and Twiice, promising further collaborations in the future.

Jamie Cashmore, co-founder of Twiice, said the company is researching a line of edible plates that could potentially be used on Air New Zealand flights as well.

Addressing the plastic waste crisis has become a hot topic across all sectors of the travel business, not just airlines. The state of California has banned sample shampoos and small toiletries commonly used in hotels. At the same time, several large corporations, such as Hyatt and IHG (which own brands like Holiday Inn and Hotel Indigo), have announced similar measures across all their hotel chains.

Hannah Nguyen