One of the nation's top airports is doing everything it can to reduce the environmental impact of the industry.
Seattle-Tacoma International, which the World Airport Awards has rated as the United States' No. 1 facility for three years straight, began requiring its food service vendors to carry only reusable or approved compostable wares and packaging last month, as Packaging Strategies reported.
The change is to help the airport divert 60% of its terminal waste from landfills, according to the outlet. It includes restaurants, to-go establishments, lounges, and caterers, which will have to stock compliant utensils, cups, and bowls. Last year, SEA kept 48% of its trash out of landfills.
"This transition will help us reach that goal even sooner," Ryan Calkins, commissioner of the Port of Seattle, which operates the airport, said. "Reusable and compostable products support local efforts to recover organic waste, reduce single-use plastics, and improve the quality of our recycling at SEA, while still providing an elevated customer dining experience."
Similar rules were adopted in 2017, and this update eliminates plastic and plastic-lined items from being used. Packaging Strategies said it means more food waste will be composted, food-contaminated products will go to the right places, and travelers will be able to sort items easier. In 2023, SEA sent 1,394 tons of waste to its compost facility.
Cedar Grove Composting in nearby Maple Valley processes the waste into soil, and then SEA buys the soil for use in landscaping and construction projects. The third-party Compost Manufacturing Alliance certifies the food service businesses' products, guaranteeing that the plant-based items are toxin-free and compostable.
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"It's important we all do our part and be conscious about where we source our food to the packaging we utilize, because it affects us all," said Max Heigh, founder of Sam Choy's Poke to the Max, one of the SEA restaurants that met the new standards ahead of time. "We think it's our responsibility to do as much as we can to look out for future generations."
These kinds of eco-friendly ventures are necessary to help reduce the overheating of the planet, which is caused by the use of dirty energy.
Plastics, made from petroleum, also contribute to pollution in the environment and the overuse of landfills, which release potent heat-trapping gases such as methane and carbon dioxide and account for nearly 10% of worldwide pollution, per Sustainability for All.
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