Glasgow Airport’s efficiency pledge sends recycling rate sky high

The pledge, coordinated by Resource Efficient Scotland, part of Zero Waste Scotland, is an initiative committing businesses to reducing their environmental impact and resource use.

Glasgow Airport has introduced a new terminal recycling system, employing double bins to separate recycling and has introduced targeted training for staff to reduce contamination of recycling areas across the airport campus.

The commitment to recycling is saving the airport more than £8,000 per year.

Energy efficiency has also been addressed, with the airport introducing new energy efficient vending machines as well as improving air conditioning systems and incorporating LED lighting systems, which has led to savings of more than 730 tonnes of CO2 every year.

The airport has also worked with business partners operating on the airport to encourage them to take the Resource Efficiency Pledge.

Business partnership

Boots the Chemist, JD Wetherspoon and World Duty Free were some of the companies working with the airport on a new set of ‘Golden Rules’ to introduce a more waste-aware culture.

“We are very proud of our achievements and of how our business partners came together to achieve this mutual goal,” said Glasgow Airport’s commercial manager Vicky McDowell. “In late 2014 we formed an action group involving all our retailers to develop a Charter which became known as ‘Keep It Clean Behind the Scenes’.”

She added: “All 600 retail staff from over 30 businesses were trained in how to deliver the charter and we are delighted with the improvements we have seen so far.”

Ian Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: It’s great to see the airport taking further steps to improve its resource efficiency, by encouraging other businesses based there to make a Pledge – I hope to see the campus working together in the future to continue on this green journey and become as sustainable as possible.”

Other airports have also implemented measures to improve their sustainability profile in recent years. Stansted Airport won national recognition for its zero waste-to-landfill measures and Birmingham Airport turned to solar power on for renewable energy generation.

Matt Field