Managing passenger waste at Brussels Airport to maximize recycling and promote circularity
02.05.2024
In the corridors of Brussels Airport, a new journey is taking place—one that doesn’t involve airplanes, but the trail of waste left behind by passengers. This journey is not about destinations but about sustainability and the commitment to a cleaner environment.
Achieving recycling targets by meeting passengers’ needs.
The waste journey looks at the waste produced by a passenger from arrival at the airport to departure. It initially maps out where the waste hotspots are. Then, in cooperation with the waste collector and waste processor, a selective collection of waste bags from different locations can be organized to see which waste is predominantly prevalent and recurrently mis-sorted in a particular area.
The goal is to acquire insights on the overall waste flow mapping and identifying bottlenecks. Based on this, appropriate measures can be taken, such as providing larger waste islands, more frequent collections, and clearer visual indication of sorting to achieve recycling targets by meeting passengers’ needs. Recycling targets are set in the Brussels Airport’s own Waste Policy, namely a recycling target of 50% in 2025.
Navigating the waste journey for enhanced recycling and circularity.
The journey is a high-level assessment of the waste flow, consisting of three main actions:
- Mapping the passenger waste journey from arrival to departure;
- Assessing the existing infrastructure provided in the locations of the passenger flow;
- Mapping the waste flow from the time of collection by the cleaning crew until arrival at the container park.
The analysis and potential improvements aim to contribute to the development of more effective waste management strategies, with a focus on proper sorting to maximize recycling and promote circularity.