by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:40 PM ET, Wed July 11, 2018

American Airlines has joined the travel industry wave and will eliminate single-use plastic straws from the carrier's flights and airport lounges.

Starting in late July, American announced it will be adding biodegradable straws and wood stir sticks to its lounges, as well as eventually transitioning to all eco-friendly flatware within airport facilities.

In November, the airline's flights will no longer provide the typical plastic straw/stir stick during onboard beverage service, instead switching to stir sticks made from environmentally friendly bamboo.

"We're very excited and proud to share this initiative with our team members and customers," American vice president Jill Surdek said in a statement. "We're cognizant of our impact on the environment and we remain committed to doing our part to sustain the planet for future generations of travelers."

The changes will help American eliminate more than 71,000 pounds of plastic per year.

American was the first airline to institute an onboard recycling program in 1989, which now recycles hundreds of thousands of pounds of aluminum per year. The carrier also transitioned away from plastic foam cups to paper cups in 2015.

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