Airports Authority India bans single-use plastic items at its airports

Airports Authority of India has decided to make its airports plastic free by banning the use of single-use plastic items at its airports across the country.

Various steps have been undertaken to eliminate the single-use plastic items at passenger terminals and city side. These steps include banning of single-use plastic items like straws, plastic cutleries, plastic plates etc.

On the basis of Third- Party Assessment carried out by Quality Council of India; Sixteen AAI Airports namely Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport (IDR), Raja Bhoj Airport (BHO), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD), Biju Patnaik Airport (BBI), Tirupati Airport (TIR), Tiruchirappalli International Airport (TRZ), Vijayawada Airport (VGA), Dehradun Airport (DED), Chandigarh International Airport (IXC), Vadodara International Airport (BDQ), Madurai Airport (IXM), Swami Vivekananda Airport (RPR), Visakhapatnam Airport (VTZ), Pune Airport (PNQ), Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) and Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport (VNS) have been declared as single-use plastic free.

AAI is also enhancing its waste management systems and is promoting the use of eco-friendly sustainable alternatives progressively like use of biodegradable garbage bags in the garbage bins and installation of plastic bottle crushing machine at airports.

AAI airports have also started various awareness campaigns for sensitising all stakeholders specially passengers towards the cause and to drive engagement and cooperation from all of them. In its quest for making environmental conservation an ingrained organisational mission, Airports Authority of India has formulated an Environment Policy which envisages its commitment for reduction of green house gases and sustainable development by implementing cost effective carbon mitigation action to conserve environment and reduce adverse impact on society, community and ecosystem thus contributing to national sustainable development goals.

As a part of this policy, AAI is conscious and committed towards sensitising all employees and stakeholders to fulfil environmental obligation by reducing carbon footprint. In ensuring the successful implementation of dissuading the usage of single-use plastic items, AAI has been carrying out internal audits of its airports along with stakeholders. AAI has also engaged Quality Council of India to assess / check the implementation of the ban of single-use plastic items at 34 airports handling one million passengers per annum which will be completed by 31st January 2019.