Alaska Airlines has been at the forefront of a continuing effort by airlines to push for more eco-friendly flights. Alaska Airlines just recently flew a cross-country flight on a newly developed biofuel made from discarded tree limbs and wood scraps from forest projects in the Pacific Northwest.

The company said the flight used a 20 percent biofuel blend that emitted 70 percent less carbon dioxide than conventional petroleum jet fuel. The flight took a Boeing 737 from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.

The Seattle-based airline didn’t have to look far for the sustainable resources it used for its alternative jet fuel. Excess waste from forest harvesting in Washington, Oregon and Montana that would have been burned or left on the forest floor was converted into alcohol and made into biofuel by the Washington State University-led Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance.

Alaska Airlines estimated that if it were to replace 20 percent of its fuel supply at Seattle-Tacoma with biofuel, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 142,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which would equal taking 30,000 cars off the road. Thanks to Alaska Airline’s ground-breaking advances toward sustainable energy, expect other airlines to follow suite and push the envelope further.