Dubai Airports to Divert 60% of DXB’s Waste from Landfills by Mid-2023

Dubai Airports announced a new waste management initiative that will keep 60 percent of all waste from Dubai International (DXB) from entering landfills by the middle of 2023.

The treatment plan expected 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.

Decomposing food waste in landfills results in the emission of methane gas which is 72 times more harmful to the environment than CO2.

The treatment 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.

To date, the programme has already achieved greater than 40 percent reduction in waste, including a special initiative that captures 100 percent of all cooking oil used in airport F&B outlets and converts it to biodiesel fuel.

"Capturing and diverting all forms of waste from landfills is a strategically important component of our waste management programme. While airport operations contribute a very small percentage of the overall waste generated at DXB, we are working in close partnership with airlines, F&B facilities, and all other partners across the airport to make a unified commitment to achieving and surpassing our 60 percent waste reduction objective," said Jamal Zaal, Vice President of Safety and Sustainability at Dubai Airports.