United Airlines promotes sustainability: Switches from plastic wine bottles to aluminium cans

United Airlines has made a major transition from plastic wine bottles to aluminium cans, igniting a sustainable shift in response to the growing demand for eco-friendly packaging.  United has also introduced an updated wine list for its domestic economy cabin, offering passengers more options, including a new rosé and a brut bubbles wine exclusively available on United flights.

Starting in October, travellers will also enjoy high-quality aluminium canned wines from women-owned brands Just Enough Wines and Maker Wine. This switch to aluminium canned wine is expected to reduce single-use plastic bottles by approximately 4.7 million each year.

"Our new economy wine list is giving travellers more variety and better quality. After the overwhelmingly positive response to the addition of rosé in United Polaris® business class, and ongoing fanfare for sparkling options, we're thrilled to now offer rosé and a higher quality brut bubbles option for our economy passengers, delivering a more premium experience onboard," said Aaron McMillan, United's Managing Director of Hospitality Programs.

Aluminium – the metal of the future

Aluminium is nearly infinitely recyclable, aligning with United's commitment to sustainability, including on-board recycling efforts. Additionally, this update introduces two women-owned brands to the airline's roster of small, independent producers. Now, United's domestic economy cabin passengers can choose from four different wine varieties, each served in a 250-millilitre aluminium can—equivalent to about a glass and a half of wine—accompanied by a cup for sipping.

Just Enough Wines is a prominent female-owned premium canned wine company that offers vintage and appellation-specific, award-winning wines sourced from vineyards certified by Sustainability in Practice and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. Maker Wine is a female-founded premium canned wine company that collaborates with women and underrepresented winemakers to bring their award-winning wines to consumers in recyclable cans. Each can feature the signature and story of the producer behind the wine.