Sea-Tac To Grow Recycling Rate |
Sea-Tac Airport, which Scientific American magazine reported as one of the airports saving the most money through recycling, recently set a goal to boost its recycling rate even more in the next five years.
Currently, Sea-Tac recycles 23 percent of its waste (trash) per year. By reducing the amount of trash going to landfills, the airport saves about $180,000 annually. The latest target is to increase the airport recycling rate to 50 percent.
To help accomplish this goal, the Port of Seattle is expanding the Sea-Tac recycling program to the airfield. The Port is installing six sets of large-capacity trash and recycling compactors on the ramp to handle recyclable and non-recyclable material from aircraft, ground support and other ramp operations. All six are expected to be in place by early 2010. The new compactor locations are outside the following gates: A-10, B-4, C-1, D-11, N-6 and S-16.
An electronic key system will record usage by each tenant. Compactors will have sensors that monitor capacity and signal when they need to be emptied. There will be a fee for trash disposal but not for recycling.
This program has added benefits. By having compactors, the airport will reduce the number of trucks hauling trash. This is expected to improve ramp safety; and reduce emissions, fuel consumption and transportation costs. In contrast to open-top dumpsters, the compactors will have doors that close automatically to reduce debris and wildlife attractants on the airfield.