The United States Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) offers the Recycle on the Go program as a way to encourage recycling in transportation centers and public places such as airports. Participation in the program is to assist those airport facilities and businesses to achieve a forty percent waste diversion or recycling rate. The overarching goal of the program is to help visitors and travelers remember that recycling and waste reduction is just as easy as important when they are in an airport or airport-operated businesses such as a restaurant or retail shop, as when they are at home. Increased recycling not only helps to preserve the environment and reduce the space needed in landfills, but it can also help to cost the yearly waste disposal fees that facility owners must pay to dispose of materials thrown away in the garbage.

Here are just a few of the suggestions for better waste mangaement strategies in an airport facility:

1) Airports are waste generators of items such as beverage and food containers, newspapers and office paper, and cardboard. These items are ideal for recycling so having clearly marked and regularly placed recycling bins can help reduce mixing of trash with recyclables.

2) Make sure the recycling bins are visible and contain simple signage in a variety of languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, and Russian to help ensure that all travelers can understand what waste materials go in which bins. If multiple languages cannot be placed on a sign, use symbols for paper, plastic, and garbage.

3) Stress the importance of recycling and reducing waste in signs and recorded messages available throughout the terminals. Placing information on the airport’s website can also stress to visitors and travelers the importance of properly disposing of their unwanted materials.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re responsible for managing the facility of a large travel hub, such as an airport, it’s important to regularly review your waste disposal practices. You may find that by promoting recycling, you’ll be able to reduce the amount of tonnage you send to landfills every year!