Mumbai Airport recycled 9,000 single-use plastic bottles in 10 months

Mumbai, Nov 14: The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has recycled nearly 9,000 single-use plastic bottles in 10 months through the two Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) installed at Terminal 2, an official said here on Tuesday.

The RVMs were installed here in January 2023, and the CSMI plans to install three more RVMs this month to achieve the target of zero-waste to landfill by reducing and recycling of such single-use plastic waste.

The existing two RVMs are capable of processing up to 450 plastic bottles per hour compressing 70 per cent of the waste for efficient and easy transportation to recycling centres, saving on resources, reducing emissions plus cutting on logistics costs.

In 2019, the CSMIA initiated the comprehensive single-use plastic ban across its operations like retail, food and beverages, and partner airlines, achieving a 100 per cent single-use plastic-free status, while popularising the initiative through a series of campaigns involving the airport community and others.

Over a prolonged period, the CSMIA said that these RVMs are likely to help reduce carbon emissions by around 125 tonnes annually spelling huge benefits for the environment, with its goal of ‘Operational Net Zero Carbon Emission’ 2029.