American Airlines says it's getting rid of plastic straws in planes, lounges

American Airlines says it will stop using plastic straws and drink stirs and replace them with biodegradable alternatives.

American said Tuesday starting this month in its airport lounges it will serve drinks with straw and wood stir sticks and begin moving to what it called eco-friendly flatware.

American, the world's biggest airline, said in November on board planes it will replace plastic stir sticks with ones made from bamboo. The airline said the moves will eliminate more than 71,000 pounds of plastic a year.

Alaska Airlines, the fifth-largest U.S. carrier, said in May it would phase out plastic straws and citrus picks starting this summer and replace them with "sustainable, marine-friendly alternatives." Larger U.S. airlines -- Delta, United and Southwest -- still use plastic straws, according to representatives of those carriers.

Some cities have banned plastic straws because they are often not recycled and wind up as trash in landfills and oceans.

Starbucks and other food companies have recently announced they will phase out plastic straws and polystyrene foam cups from its stores by 2020.