Sustainable Airport Waste Management: The Case of Kansai International Airport

Abstract

Abstract:The global air transport industry is predicted to continue its rapid growth. A by-product of air transport operations, however, is the substantial volumes of waste generated at airports. To mitigate the environmental impact of waste and to comply with regulatory requirements, airports are increasingly implementing sustainable waste management policies and systems. Using an in-depth case study research design, this study has examined waste management at Kansai International Airport from 2002 to 2015. Throughout its history the airport has implemented world best practices to achieve its goal of being an eco-friendly airport. The qualitative data gathered for the study were analysed using document analysis. The quantitative data were analysed using t-tests. Statistically significant results were found in the reduction in waste per passenger and aircraft movement (for total waste, incinerated waste, and landfill waste). In addition, a statistically significant increase in the proportion of waste recycled, and a decrease in the proportion of waste sent to landfill was observed. As such, quantitatively speaking, Kansai International Airport has shown significant waste management improvements. The study concludes that Kansai Airport's waste management approaches and policies can be transferred to other airport facilities. This would greatly improve sustainability across airports, globally.

An Assessment of Airport Sustainability: Part 3—Water Management at Copenhagen Airport

“…The "right" figure shows the water quantities (in m 3 ) per aircraft movement, for total, drinking, and second quality water. If we compare these results to other factors such as energy [65,73] or waste per passenger [74], there is a slightly increasing trend rather than a downward trend that we would expect in the results per aircraft movement (ATM). That is, while the airport has become more efficient in terms of energy and waste per aircraft, it is using more water per aircraft.…”

“…The monitoring of groundwater quality is viewed as very important in Copenhagen Airport's activities and operations and the environmental impact that such waters may have on soil and groundwater [73]. Groundwater in the soil under the airport is in a layer of limestone which is approximately ten metres below the surface.…”

Flying Green from a Carbon Neutral Airport: The Case of Brussels

“…The empirical analysis focuses on the claim that Brussels Airport is a carbon-neutral airport that develops in a sustainable way. One way to assess airport sustainability is to use environmental reports and other sources in a document analysis to evaluate activities like waste management [16] and energy management [17,18] at a particular airport. Environmental reporting by companies is also analyzed in comparative and longitudinal studies to map differences in reporting over space and time.…”

Mitigating an Airport’s Carbon Footprint Through the Use of “Green” Technologies: The Case of Brisbane and Melbourne Airports, Australia

“…Airports play a fundamental role in the air transport value by providing the critical infrastructure, such as, passenger terminals and runways that are necessary to facilitate the movement of passengers and air cargo. Accordingly, airports act as the critical interface point between the surface-based and air transport modes (Baxter et al, 2018a). Despite the significant social and economic benefits of air transport services, such services have an adverse impact on the environment.…”