SUMMARY
- LAX and VNY airports have banned the sale of single-use plastic water bottles as part of their sustainability action plan to reduce plastic waste and move towards zero waste.
- The ban comes after a two-year phase-out period, and airport guests are now encouraged to bring reusable bottles and fill them at hydration stations.
- Businesses at both airports must now use containers made from recyclable aluminum, glass, or other sustainable alternatives.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY), which are owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), will no longer allow the sale of single-use plastic water bottles. The development is part of the authority’s long-term sustainability action plan to reduce plastic waste and move toward zero waste.
The policy comes after businesses at the airport went through a period of two years to slowly phase out the use of plastic water bottles. The LAWA now encourages airport guests to bring reusable bottles and fill them at hydration stations.
“An important step”
According to the LAWA, the prohibition covers pre-packaged single-use plastic bottles of all sizes that contain non-carbonated and unflavored purified water, spring water, mineral water, artesian water, well water, tap water, and electrolyte-enhanced water. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke about the LAWA’s initiative to reduce plastic at LAX and VNY.
“The climate crisis is a great challenge facing our city, and phasing out single-use plastic water bottles at LAWA facilities is an important step to reducing our environmental footprint and protecting the health and livelihood of all Angelenos. I want to thank LAWA for serving as a leader among airports around the world working to achieve a more sustainable future.”
Switching to sustainable alternatives
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) in June 2021 unanimously approved phasing out single-use plastic water bottles by June 30, 2023. The decision was part of Los Angeles’ Green New Deal plan, which targets several sustainable goals, such as sourcing 70% of water locally and recycling 100% of wastewater by 2035.
“The two-year phase-out period allowed airport businesses to use up inventories of plastic water bottles and modify purchasing contracts before switching to compliant products,” the authority explained.
The new policy requires businesses that sell concessions or have lease agreements at LAX and VNY to substitute single-use plastic bottles with containers developed from recyclable aluminum, glass, or other sustainable alternatives. Vending machine providers and airport events are also required to switch out the bottles. The ban does not affect bottled water served onboard aircraft.
More hydration stations
In preparation for the policy, the LAWA partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to install more hydration stations around the terminals at LAX to ensure that passengers would have convenient access to drinking water. The authority said the LAWA Facilities Management Division maintains the hydration stations, and its maintenance program allows the stations to be regularly inspected for repairs.
“We encourage our guests to help us reach our goal of eliminating plastic waste at the airport by bringing a reusable water bottle and filling it up at one of our many hydration stations,” said Justin Erbacci, the Chief Executive Officer of LAWA. “Eliminating single-use plastic water bottles is essential to improving our environment and enhancing sustainability across our airports.”
LAWA’s Sustainability Action Plan has several initiatives, including waste reduction and water management. The plan also aims for LAX and VNY to achieve net zero in potable water usage and carbon emissions from the authority’s operations by using 100% renewable energy by 2045.
Source: https://simpleflying.com/los-angeles-world-airports-ban-single-use-plastic-water-bottles/
