Dubai International Airport to diver 60% of waste and produce biodiesel

In the UAE, Dubai Airports is kicking off a new waste management initiative that will play an integral role delivering on its commitment to keep 60% of all waste from Dubai International (DXB) from entering landfills by the middle of 2023.

As part of the new program, the operator has implemented an innovative food waste treatment plan which is expected to capture and compost more than 2,000 metric tons of food waste annually from food and beverage outlets, lounges and hotels across DXB terminals and concourses. Decomposing food waste in landfills results in the emission of methane gas which is 72 times more harmful to the environment than CO2.

The innovative new food waste plan was created in partnership with Dubai Airports’ waste management partner BEEAH Group, the Sharjah-based sustainability pioneer. It uses a special high-tech biodigester compost system installed in multiple locations across DXB that dramatically increases the speed at which food waste breaks down and becomes reusable compost and clean wastewater.

The DXB waste diversion strategy is designed to sustain a resilient waste management system that identifies the least economic, environmental, and social impact methods to capture, treat, reuse, or recycle all forms of waste. To date, the programme has already achieved greater than 40% reduction in waste, including a special initiative that captures 100% of all cooking oil used in airport F&B outlets and converts it to biodiesel fuel.