INDIA. Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has banned single-use plastic as part of its sustainability drive.
In line with the Indian government’s phased nationwide ban on single-use plastic, the airport has collaborated with all of its stakeholders including airlines, concessionaires, F&B and retail outlets and aircraft ground handlers on the elimination of plastic across both of its terminals.
As a result of the change, F&B outlets have replaced single-use plastic items with paper, straw, wooden or other alternatives and all retail outlets have replaced plastic bags with paper bags.
The airport has also adopted various recycling initiatives to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment; all waste is now disposed of in accordance with regulatory requirements. It has adopted techniques such as waste minimisation, segregation at source, improved operational efficiency, recycling and reuse. Initiatives such as PET bottle recycling machines at both terminals and in-house organic waste composting have also been adopted.
A spokesperson for the airport said: “As a global airport, over the years we have implemented various path-breaking green initiatives, be it with regards to carbon neutrality, utilisation of solar energy, recycling waste and generating organic compost, releasing a sustainability report as per the GRI standards, among many such initiatives.
“Having already initiated the ban in 2018, our main aim was to provide the passengers with alternatives that do not affect their pleasant experience at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, while at the same time eliminating the use of single-use plastic across all airport operations along with our stakeholders.”
