London Gatwick has become the first airport to achieve a Zero Waste to Landfill accreditation from the Carbon Trust – an independent environmental consultancy that helps governments, organizations and companies around the world to reduce their carbon emissions and become more resource efficient.
The news follows the publication of Gatwick’s annual Decade of Change report, which monitors its progress against 10 sustainability targets.
The new Carbon Trust standard was established to provide a robust framework for verifying Zero Waste to Landfill claims and recognizes Gatwick for actively diverting its non-hazardous waste streams from landfill. Gatwick achieves this by reducing waste and finding ways to reuse materials; increasing recycling including sending all empty coffee cups and plastic bottles for specialist recycling; and building the world’s first on-airport plant able to convert aircraft cabin waste into energy.
Alongside the Carbon Trust accreditation, London Gatwick has also been recertified as carbon neutral by the ACI, largely thanks to the airport’s use of renewable electricity and Gold Standard carbon credits.
The airport also retained the accreditations it secured in 2016 for achieving ongoing reductions in carbon emissions, water use and improving waste management.
The airport’s progress report against 10 ambitious environmental and community-focused targets set over the 10 years (2010 to 2020) has also been published. Year-on-year (2016-17) results in the Decade of Change report include a 10% reduction in annual carbon emissions from fuel and energy and a 5% drop in annual energy consumption per passenger.
Stewart Wingate, chief executive, Gatwick Airport, said, “As an airport we recognize the importance of a sustainable operation, which is why exceeding our ambitious environmental and community-focused targets has been a priority for us ever since new ownership in 2009.
“I would like to thank every member of staff and our wider Gatwick Family, who have all helped us to achieve both our targets and also secure four Carbon Trust standards and carbon neutral status.”
Hugh Jones, managing director, Carbon Trust Business Services, said, “Over the past two years, Gatwick has made impressive progress on environmental performance to retain triple certification to the Carbon Trust Standard for continuing to reduce carbon emissions, water use and waste output. We are also delighted to be able to recognize its achievement of Zero Waste to Landfill status for the first time.”
Olivier Jankovec, director general, ACI Europe, said, “I warmly congratulate Gatwick on its ongoing sustainability drive. It was the first London airport to become Airport Carbon Accredited as carbon neutral and Stewart and his team have remained motivated to make further efficiencies, clearly embracing climate action as part of the company culture. Their three-year renewal at the highest level of the Airport Carbon Accreditation, combined with their 360° strategy to lower their broader environmental impact, is something that other airports and companies beyond air transport can learn from.”