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Aldeasa hopes that all of its airport shops will have the new biodegradable bags within one month |
SPAIN. Leading airport retailer Aldeasa is to begin selling biodegradable bags in its Spanish airport shops in an effort to reduce the impact on the environment caused by traditional plastic bags.
According to plans, the company will begin to eliminate conventional plastic bags in all sizes except the bags used for products that, under European regulations, must be placed in sealed, transparent bags (STEBs) to carry Liquids, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs).
The new compostable bags, which are made from potato starch and printed using natural dyes, break down in 18 months without leaving any traces of contaminants.
The company began its initiative on 1 December and hopes that within one month all airport shops will have the new bags available.
Aldeasa will also offer raffia totes in its shops in the sizes required by airlines for carry-on items. Customers can put their purchases and all their belongings inside the tote and use it as carry-on luggage.
The company began selling the eco-friendly bags at its airport shop in Palma de Mallorca to test the proposal last July – a move that proved successful, said Aldeasa, with 90,000 bags sold in two months.
The profits from the sales of these compostable bags will be used for marine conservation projects. The profits obtained from the Palma de Mallorca shop were used for a project developed by the nature conservation organisation WWF in Spain.
Aldeasa Director of National Operations Pedro Castro said: “It is proof of our company’s commitment to the environment and, at the same time, our objective is to respond to our clients’ increasing ecological awareness.”
Aldeasa manages 115 shops across 22 Spanish airports.
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