A popular airline has made huge strides towards removing plastic bottles from its on-board offering after launching a week's trial.

British Airways ditched plastic water bottles from its in-cabin selection from June 16 to 22 for premium and economy passengers flying on select routes between the UK and the US.

Those on long-haul flights connecting London Heathrow to Miami, Los Angeles, and Boston were served water in paper cups as opposed to plastic bottles, with the air operator now analysing feedback to see if this move could be permanent and rolled out across all routes.

While it is not yet confirmed which way the airline will go, the environmental drive was criticised by one recent traveller on an online forum, who argued it was a 'cost-saving exercise under the guise of saving the polar bears'.

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However, with the airline industry generating a staggering 6.1 million tonnes of plastic waste per year (representing around two per cent of the world's plastic waste) - environmentalists have long called for a water bottle ban.

"We see tremendous potential to eliminate this waste with reusable service ware," said Philippe De Naeyer of deSter - a leading provider of innovative food packaging and service ware concepts to the aviation and food service industries. "For drinking cups, we have to find a durable and sustainable material to meet the design and operational challenges."

A BA spokesperson confirmed the trial had taken place to the Mirror - explaining it was a one-week scheme that was part of the airline's effort to reduce plastic waste. It is now in the process of reviewing customer feedback to conclude whether the trial was a success.

On its website, BA states it is 'committed' to protecting the environment and aims to 'eliminate' single-use plastic where more sustainable alternatives exist - such as bamboo and paper. So far, it has removed the plastic packaging from its blanket wrappings and introduced duvets made from recycled plastic.

"Working towards implementing a circular economy, we aim to keep our resources in use for as long as possible through product design, re-use and recycling and through partnerships with our suppliers," the airline added. "We're dedicated to finding innovative solutions that are better for the environment."

Last year, BA won the SEAL Business Sustainability Awards, which honour leadership, innovation and commitment to sustainable business practices. It says it was 'delighted' to receive the accolade for 'advancing onboard recycling'.

The airline is also one of the first to pledge to become carbon net zero by 2050. "We're investing in new, modern aircraft that are up to 35 per cent more efficient than the aircraft they replace and we've made changes to the way we fly to further reduce our emissions," the company said. "We've also formed partnerships to support the development of sustainable aviation fuels (detailed here), hydrogen-powered aircraft and carbon capture technology."

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