Going green with the blue bins

While talking with Airport Authority colleagues the other day, I found that some folks are confused about exactly what types of waste can go in the blue recycling bins located at every workstation. I thought I would look up the information and post it on the Ambassablog. After all, as Goodwill Ambassadors, we should know about the great recycling program we have here at San Diego International Airport and take advantage of it, in the spirit of sustainability, to be good stewards of our resources. Besides, we should be proud of our award-winning recycling program!

(Speaking of recycling, it’s just one component of the Airport Authority’s sustainability efforts I mentioned in my previous Earth Day blog post.)

We all have access to the blue recycling bins, whether we’re in the Authority offices or out in the airport terminals. According to Amiel in Landside Operations, there are about 75 recycling bins available throughout the airport (pictured here) for our 18.3 million annual passengers, their meeters and greeters, and the thousands of people who work at the airport. That’s in addition to the smaller blue recycling bins (pictured at top) in all Airport Authority office spaces.

Our recycling program is a “single-stream” program, which means that all recyclable materials can go in the same blue containers. So, what materials are eligible? Here’s an overview:

• Paper (including phone books, magazines, newspapers, etc.)
• Glass, aluminum and steel food and beverage containers
• Plastic bottles and jars – only if they have a #1 or #2 recycling symbol on the bottom. This number often appears inside a triangle.

This and more good information about the recycling program can be found in the handy Recycling Guide on the airport’s Web page. A list of some non-recyclable items is also conveniently listed in the guide. If you’re even more interested in going green, refer to the Recycling Guide for some useful “precycling” and re-use tips.

And, listen up Airport Authority employees: you can look forward to getting more sustainability tips at the Airport Authority’s upcoming internal Division Open House on June 12. But here’s an easy one to keep in mind right now: whether you’re an employee who works here every day, or a less-frequent visitor to San Diego International Airport, be sure to utilize those blue recycling bins!