Amtrak Is Running Late as It Begins to Tackle Single-Use Plastics
Photo Credit: Inside the cafe car on Amtrak Cascades. Efforts are under way to curb single-use plastic uses on trains for food and beverage. Flickr.com / The West End
Skift Take
Other global rail companies are speeding ahead of Amtrak in reducing single-use plastics, but Amtrak is trying to make up the time.
In mid-October, 20 design students and design professionals boarded an Amtrak train at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Their mission on the way to their destination: find ways for Amtrak to reduce its use of single-use plastics.
During the 65-minute workshop, the designers showed off ideas for serving passengers at their seats and in sleeper cars, using sustainable materials.
They included bento boxes for meal service, similar to Japan Rail, wrapping menu items in waxed plastic, aluminum serving pieces that could be sterilized and re-used, and bamboo cutlery, the kind many eco-minded travelers already pack in their carryon bags.
Enthusiasm ran high, said Kara Angotti, senior sustainability manager for Amtrak.
“The response was really stellar,” Angotti added. “People were really into it.”
One caveat the designers faced was safety, added Sierra Prochna, Amtrak’s product development and customer experience lead.
“There are certain restrictions on a train
