Disclaimer #
This discourse does not pretend in any way to cover all there is in the very broad subject of Waste Management. The purview of this presentation has been mapped out to capture only the salient waste management points in AVIATION.
What is waste Management? #
Waste has been defined as useless, unwanted, discarded material arising from the normal community (airport) activities. However, developments in recycling and resource recovery technology have challenged this definition. So, a material or substance can be specifically considered a waste when it can no longer serve its primary purpose.
For the purpose of this discourse (aviation industry), ICAO considers waste as “any type of ‘unwanted or unused products/materials/substances that happen to be produced and/or arrive at the airport site and that needs to be given a proper treatment”.
“Waste management, therefore, will be the process of handling the waste, which could come from aircraft (domestic/international), tenants, maintenance activities, aircraft and ground vehicles operations, offices, construction and so on, as well as dealing with the different requirements of these different types of waste.” – ICAO’s ECO Airport Toolkit.
Primary Waste Concerns of Aviation Industry #
The two (2) major waste concerns of the aviation industry are: 1) is the waste International Waste? 2) is the waste Hazardous Waste? These will be explained in due course
Types of Waste in Civil Aviation and their Sources #
Waste exists in the three major states of matter, namely; Solid, Liquid (sludge), and Gas. The categorizations below cover wastes in all these forms:
- International Waste
This is, generally, waste from international flights but also can include the waste from the terminals that international flights service. When waste originates from countries with different policies and regulations, there is a risk of introduction of plant pests, diseases, and other contaminants. For these reasons, this waste is sometimes called quarantined waste (QW). The Canadian International Waste Directive, for instance, defines International waste as any “waste removed from aircrafts … including things that are forfeited or voluntarily surrendered by international travellers arriving in Canada.”Hypothetical example of international waste:
Mr. A travels with bags of dried fish from Ghana to Singapore. While waiting for his luggage, the airport security in Singapore draws his attention to a foul smell oozing from one of his bags of dried fish. He is further told that all dried fish and other farm products with him will be confiscated, quarantined and subsequently destroyed because they harbour the risk of introducing pests, diseases and other contaminants to Singapore. His quarantined bag of dried fish is considered an international waste. International Waste is considered important in aviation waste management because it is a major way of introducing foreign pests, disease and contaminants to another country. (Please note that international waste most often are in other material forms besides agro products)
Treatment/Management of International Waste
In many cases, international waste is incinerated on-site, or the airport arranges for it to be packaged and sent for disposal. Usually, also, this waste is handled separately from other airport wastes. - Hazardous/Industrial Waste
ICAO’s Eco Airport Toolkit views these types of wastes as consisting of oils, solvents, and other chemical waste from activities such as aircraft and ground vehicle washing and cleaning, fuelling operations, aircraft maintenance and repair including painting and metalwork, engine test cell operations, de/anti-icing operations, ground vehicle maintenance, and abandoned aircraft.Treatment and Management of Hazardous Waste
These types of waste are closely regulated by state law, and require special treatment, storage, and disposal.
Systems should be put in place to properly receive this waste and not discharge them directly into the environment. It is recommended that hazardous and industrial wastes are better disposed of/treated by the relevant state agency. (Please, note that the treatment of other waste types listed below will be handled generally subsequently.) - Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
This is made of everyday items that are used and discarded such as aluminium and steel cans, glass and plastic bottles and containers, packaging bags, paper products, cardboards, etc. Sources of MSW are:- Terminal Waste: from public areas and airport admin offices.
- Tenant Waste: from airport concessionaires like restaurants, hotels, marts, etc.
- Airline Waste: from airplanes and airline offices.
- Cargo waste: from cargo operations
- Construction and Demolition Debris (CDD)
Concrete, wood, metals, bricks and masonry materials, asphalt, rock, gravel, sand, roofing sheets, carpet, plastics, pipes, tiles, electrical cables and fittings, etc. Maintenance and construction works are the main sources of CDD. - Deplaned Waste (wastes from aircraft)
Waste from passenger aircraft is a specific type of MSW. It is estimated to account for about 20% of airports waste (ICAO). They include gallery waste (materials collected by airline hosts/hostesses as part of the de-catering process).
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Lavatory or Toilet Waste
Lavatory waste is considered as a special type of waste emanating from the use of toilets and bathrooms. It contains chemicals and potential enteric pathogens and can present risks to the environment and human health if not handled properly. Caution must be taken to ensure that releases of untreated lavatory waste do not occur.
Waste Management Principles #
Airport Council International (ACI) Policy and Recommended Practices Handbook provides that “airports should promote the culture of avoiding solid waste generation and where possible extracting value from remaining waste with the ultimate goal of sending zero waste to landfills.”
Waste Management Hierarchy #
ACI and EU directive recommends the following order of waste management in airports.
- Waste Avoidance
This should be the top priority in waste management. It entails measures to be taken before a substance becomes waste. Example: leaving an unused water tap running due to negligence or malfunction generates avoidable waste water. - Waste Reduction
Having canteens close to office areas, for example, can reduce waste generated through the use of takeaway plates. Alternatively, having one’s food flask can also check the generation of this type of waste. - Waste Recycling
Recycling of waste (converting waste into reusable material) is at the core of modern waste management efforts. Sorting of waste into recyclable and non-recyclable ones require investment in airport personnel training. Adequate receptacles, transportation to the recycle sites and recycling equipment are also necessary investments in waste recycling.
Approximately 75 per cent of the waste stream at airports is recyclable or compostable, with paper being the largest single category of MSW generated by the airline industry. CDD recycling can be a large source of savings in terms of materials and cost, but requires careful planning to realize those savings. With recycling, residual waste is reduced and energy and materials are recaptured. - Waste Disposal
Ultimately, when certain waste cannot be recycled or where waste recycling programme is non-existent, such waste must be disposed of. Landfill and incinerators are the readily available choices for most airports.
Conclusion #
The burden of proper waste management begins with where you (the aviator) keep the sweet and biscuit wraps, empty water sachet and bottle, and the POS receipt after using them. It is attitudinal.
References #
- ICAO-ECO Airport Toolkit: Waste Management at Airports
- Airport Council International (ACI) Policy and Recommended Practices Handbook
- Agunwamba, J.C. (2001) Waste Engineering and Management Tools, Immaculate Publications Ltd.
