GVK Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) that manages the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has announced that the airport is now 100 per cent single-use plastic free. In-line with the PMO’s phase wise implementation to ban single-use plastic in India, MIAL has gone a step ahead by introducing and implementing a 360-degree plastic ban as per the guidelines provided by the Government of India.
The airport emphasizes on the need to reduce, reuse and recycle. Airport adopted various recycling initiatives to drastically reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. All the waste generated from airport operations is being collected, segregated at source, stored and disposed as per the regulatory requirements. Techniques such as waste minimization, segregation at source, improved operational efficiency, recycling and reuse are practiced by MIAL proactively. The initiatives such as PET bottle recycling machines – Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) at both terminals, Eco bins for electronic waste and an in-house Organic Waste Composting are implemented at CSMIA.
Adhering to the guidelines The Maharashtra Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 2006 provided by the Government of Maharashtra, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has banned all single-use plastic items including disposable cutlery made up of Thermocol (polystyrene or plastic), PET/PETE bottles (less than 200 ml), plastic bags (with/without handle), disposable dish/bowl for food packaging, straws, thermocol items and bubble wraps.
Speaking about this milestone at the Mumbai International Airport, MIAL Spokesperson said, “At GVK MIAL we take pride in our values on our Integrity, Customer focus and Passion for excellence, all this by keeping sustainability as our central goal. As a global airport, over the years we have implemented various path-breaking green initiatives be it with regards to carbon neutrality, utilization 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 CSMIA while, at the same time eliminate the use of single use plastic across all airport operations along with our stakeholders. Today, we are proud of having achieved our goal right in time with the PMO’s initiative for the entire nation and shall continue our endeavour in providing sustainable and world-class services to our patrons.”
