Dubai Airports Achieves Sustainability Milestone - Cutting Waste to Landfills by 60%

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 29 November 2023: Dubai Airports, the operator of Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC), has announced the successful achievement of a 60% reduction in waste sent to landfills from DXB. 

This achievement marks a significant leap in Dubai Airports’ broader sustainability goal to reduce DXB’s carbon footprint, while setting an industry standard and inspiring its guests to be more environmentally conscious. 

Dubai Airports’ waste management initiative outlined an innovative food waste treatment plan to capture and compost more than 2,000 tonnes of food waste annually from food and beverage outlets, lounges, and hotels across DXB terminals and concourses. 

Dubai Airports partnered with BEEAH Group, a holding company with businesses pioneering sustainability, including through industry-leading waste management, to create and implement the food waste plan. The project was structured in three phases: the distribution of food waste bins, comprehensive training, and the processing of more than 400 tonnes of food waste yearly since its launch.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports commented: "Sustainable waste management is a crucial step in mitigating environmental impact and reducing our ecological footprint. Diverting 60% of our waste from landfills is testament to our collaborative efforts with stakeholders at DXB and highlights our commitment to sustainable practices and the UAE’s broader sustainability agenda, aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2050. We’ll continue to launch initiatives like this so we can continue to create a better tomorrow, together.”

Dubai Airports' waste diversion strategies include separation of recyclables at the source, on-site composting of organic materials, and close collaboration with key stakeholders like DXB Hotel, lounge operators and key commercial Food & Beverage partners, to ensure effective waste management and the highest possible level of diversion from landfills. It includes a special initiative that captures 100% of all cooking oil used in food and beverage outlets and converts it to biodiesel fuel.
“We would like to congratulate Dubai Airports for achieving 60% landfill waste diversion, a landmark milestone for the world’s busiest international airport. By providing sustainable waste collection infrastructure and services, BEEAH provides one part of the solution to the challenge of waste and emissions. The other part is collaboration, as demonstrated in this partnership with Dubai Airports, to achieve tangible and positive climate action. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to turn the challenge of waste into opportunities for a sustainable future,” said Rafael Lopez, CEO of BEEAH Tandeef, BEEAH’s waste collection and city cleaning business.

Dubai Airports continues to work with its concessionaires to align operations with its environmental sustainability goals related to waste and water management, and efficient use of electricity. Through a collaboration with Emirates Airport Services Lounges, additional training and awareness resulted in waste reduction, conscious procurement, and energy-saving lighting. 

A similar collaboration with Emirates Flight Catering, the largest food producer at Dubai’s Airports, has reinvented itself to recycle glass bottles, compost food waste and reduce waste to landfills.

Waste management at Dubai Airports consists of managing the stakeholders’ waste streams. This consists of aircraft cabin waste (37%) and municipal solid waste generated throughout the concourses and the terminal buildings (55%) both of which make up around 92% of the total waste generated daily. The waste management plan has helped the airport save 38% in operational costs monthly, due to the recovered value of recycled materials.