Why One Airline Is Taking Jason Momoa's Water Bottles For A Ride

On screen as Aquaman, Jason Momoa defended the environment. In real life, he's trying to do similar work: He founded a water company called Mananalu to help "unplastic" the planet. According to The Ocean Cleanup, there are 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic in a huge cluster of oceans that it calls the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As that staggering estimate continues to expand, companies like Mananalu are looking for more sustainable bottling alternatives for beverages. 

While on an airplane, Momoa noticed the pile of plastic waste that accumulated from the in-flight beverage service, and he questioned why aluminum couldn't be used as an alternative to plastic water bottles instead. With the help of Ball Corporation, he launched Mananalu's "infinitely recyclable aluminum" water bottles in 2019, per a press release. In addition, the company looks to be plastic-negative by removing one plastic bottle from the oceans for each of its aluminum bottles consumed. Momoa's line of electrolyte-fortified water, packaged in BPA-free aluminum bottles that can be reused, are already available from outlets such as Amazon and Sprouts. Now, Hawaiian Airlines, which claims to have long supported environmental initiatives, is ready to take flight with Mananalu, as well.

"Hawaii's hometown carrier," Hawaiian Airlines has previously committed "to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050." Most recently, the airline has added to its sustainability initiatives by partnering with Mananalu. According to a press announcement, Hawaiian Airlines is now serving the brand's recyclable aluminum water bottles onboard to its premium cabin customers. The Manalalu bottles will also replace the plastic ones available for purchase on the airline's snack cart, culminating in an effort the airline says will eliminate more than 140,000 plastic bottles from its planes each year.

While Hawaiian Airlines' choice is commendable, it is only one entity in a sky filled with other airlines. Progress has been made in the plastics department: Alaska Airlines no longer uses plastic bottles, cups, straws, or stir sticks on its flights, and several airports have tried to cut down on plastic sales while encouraging passengers to bring reusable options, per CNBC. Although brands have tried carton water and other plastic alternatives, many planes and shelves are still filled with plastic bottles. Similar to the spark that led Momoa to found Mananalu, isn't it time to picture beverages in a different container than plastic?