Glenn BaxterPanarat Srisaeng2025-03-102025-03-102021Waste Management: Strategies, Challenges and Future Directions978-168507394-7; 978-168507369-52-s2.0-85141025802https://repository.dusit.ac.th//handle/123456789/4672Sustainable waste management is increasingly being adopted by airports as a key part of their environmental sustainability strategies. Each year airports generate large quantities of wastes, which include both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, all of which require careful handling to minimise their adverse impact on the environment. This study uses annual wastes data from 2008 to 2017 to examine how Frankfurt Airport, a major global air transport hub, manages its general (non-hazardous) and hazardous (toxic) wastes. Findings indicate that throughout the study period, Frankfurt Airport principal waste management strategy was the reclamation of wastes for recycling wherever possible. This is evident in the annual total wastes recoverability rate increasing from 83% in 2008 to 90.3% in 2017. Wastes that cannot be recycled are separated out and reusable materials are recycled or transported to regional waste-to-energy plants. Electricity and district heating are extracted from the energy that is produced from the incineration process. Hazardous wastes are collected separately, and such wastes are channelled away for recycling as far as possible. Where recycling is not possible, hazardous wastes are disposed of in approved incineration or in physical and chemical treatment plants. An important finding of the study is that the number of passengers using Frankfurt Airport throughout the study period increased significantly. Despite this strong growth in passenger traffic, Frankfurt Airport was able to reduce the waste per enplaned passenger from 0.45 kgs in 2008 to 0.32 kgs in 2017. A similar trend was found in relation to the waste per workload unit (WLU) which decreased from 0.34 kgs per WLU in 2008 to 0.24 kgs per WLU in 2017. The annual waste per aircraft movement also decreased over the study period from 49.63 kgs per aircraft movement in 2008 to 42.81 kgs per aircraft movement in 2017. Importantly, no wastes are disposed to landfill by the airport, as this waste disposal method has adverse impacts on the environment. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.Book chapterScopus