ecyc/e on the Go Success Story
Sea-Tac Airport Recycling Program
Recycling at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is now as standard as trash collecting. From
bottles and cans to coffee grounds, this airport knows how to reduce its environmental footprint
and save money. In 2006, the airport is projected to save more than $150,000 in diverted disposal
costs. Continually enhancing its program, Sea-Tac's recycling tonnaj
Facts-at-a-Glance
Sea-Tac offers recycling in
airport offices, terminals,
and concession areas
for tenants and airline
passengers.
Sea-Tac recycles:
Beverage containers
Mixed paper
Cardboard
Cooking oil
Coffee grounds
Batteries
Printer/copier cartridges
Metals
Wood
Pallets
Plastic films
"Recycling isn't only good
for the environment; it's good
for our own bank account.
This is an example of how
doing the right thing is good
business."
- Patricia Davis
Port of Seattle Commission
President and Chair
Program Overview
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)
currently ranks as the 17th busiest passenger airport
in the United States. In 2005, Sea-Tac served more
than 29 million passengers, completed 340,000 aircraft
operations, and moved more than 330,000 metric tons
of air cargo.
Photo courtesy of Sea-Tac Airport
In 1993, the first year of its recycling program, Sea-Tac collected about 112 tons of recyclables.
In 2001, with the implementation of increased security, passengers began to spend more
time in the airport and create more waste. To address this additional waste, Sea-Tac hired a
consulting firm to conduct an assessment of the airport's recycling program. With assistance
from a National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) grant and the
consultant, Sea-Tac revamped its program, hired recycling coordinators, added PET bottle
collection, and redesigned recycling signs. Overall, recycling tonnage increased by 900 percent
between 2001 and 2005. The airport collects items such as coffee grounds, mixed paper, and
beverage containersa total of 1,038 tons of recyclables in 2005. Today, Sea-Tac recycles as
much in one month as it used to collect in one year!
Nuts and Bolts
Sea-Tac provides recycling opportunities in the terminals, retail stores, maintenance buildings,
and airport offices, as well as food concessions, taxi stands, and garages for certain airlines.
The original program collected only bottles and cans in the terminals. After the 2001 waste
assessment, Sea-Tac expanded the program and redesigned recycling bin signage to catch
passengers attention. The new bin signage increased public recycling tonnage by 40 percent.
As the airport expanded its program, it purchased many different styles of recycling bins.
Some bins provide advertising space; selling ad space helps subsidize program costs.
After expanding bottle and can collection, the airport added office paper collection by
placing more than 1,000 desk-side bins by employees' workstations. Based on the success of
this initial effort, bins were added to airline ticket and maintenance offices. The recycling
program now also includes beverage containers, printer cartridges, batteries, coffee grounds,
and cardboard from office locations.
Sea-Tac then began to collect coffee grounds from the 60 airport shops that sell coffee.
Using special bins to capture the grounds, the 12 tons of coffee generated each month
are mixed with yard waste and sent to a composter. The compost is then used in
Sea-Tac's landscaping.
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The Bottom Line
The Seattle-Tacoma Airport
saves more than $ 150,000 in
diverted disposal costs a year.
Four years after 2001's
revamped recycling system,
the airport had increased
recycling tonnage by 900
percent.
Recycling at the airport in-
creases its positive community
image. Seattle appreciates the
airport's green efforts.
I
More than 60 coffee shops at
the airport recycle 12 tons of
coffee grounds each month.
Selling ad space on recycling
bins recovers recycling bin
costs.
As much as 500 pounds of
unsold, prepackaged food
from airport shops and res-
taurants are donated to local
food banks each week.
Sea-Tac's latest collection effort involves
cooking oil. The organic oil is collected from
airport restaurants and snack bars and sold
to private companies that use it to
produce biodiesel.
With the completion of a new terminal
and food court in 2005, the new stores
and restaurants were brought into the
airport's recycling program. To create a photocopy of sea-Tac Airport
financial incentive for retailers to recycle, Sea-Tac installed an electronic trash monitoring
system that only charges retailers for what they toss in the trash compactor; the recycling
compactor is free.
In August 2006, five stores and restaurants joined another waste-reducing project called
the Sea-Tac Food Donation Program. These shops now give food banks the unsold
prepackaged food that they previously threw away. As much as 500 pounds of unopened
salads, sandwiches, and pastries are donated weekly, and the program is still expanding!
Challenges and Solutions
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste (5306P)
EPA530-F.06.026
December 2006
www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
Challenge: Originally, public participation in the recycling program was low.
Solution: Redesign the recycling bin signs to be clear and concise, and include
graphics so that international passengers also can participate.
Challenge: Waste and recycling tonnage was hard to track with so many
waste streams and multiple haulers.
Solution: Require waste and recycling reports from haulers and publish
recycling data to keep staff involved and energized.
Challenge: Collecting and transporting cooking oil was difficult.
Solution: Use specially designed containers that wheel under the fry pits
and have a sealed top so oil cannot spill out.
Reasons for Success
Providing support from top management.
Using recycling consultants.
Requiring ongoing training/education of employees and tenants.
Reporting results to participants to keep them motivated.
* Involving and cooperating with the maintenance staff.
Providing financial incentive for recycling to retailers by installing an electronic trash
monitoring system.
Presenting recycling opportunities in offices, food courts, fw^?^?^'l^?f^?
and terminals to create a broad recycling ethic. on the Gd
EPA is partnering with
other federal agencies,
states, municipalities, and
organizations to promote
ycled/Recyclable - Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, recYclmg away from home.
Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper www.epa.gov/recycleonthego
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