The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) and Partners receive the Outstanding Corporate Leadership Award from the Maryland Recyclers Coalition in June 2006.

(Edwin Maker (L) of the Maryland Aviation Administration and Richard Keller (R) of the Maryland Environmental Service accept the Outstanding Corporate Leadership Award from Bob Stumpff, Awards Chair of the Maryland Recyclers Coalition.)

The Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) has led a significant effort to increase recycling at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Martin State Airport in Maryland.  As a result of this effort, the MAA has increased recycling from 4.75 percent in February 2004 to 28.32 percent in May 2006.  The highest monthly total to date was 28.53 percent in April 2006.  The MAA met the 20 percent State goal for 21 consecutive months (September 2004 – May 2006, the most recent reporting month) and achieved a 24.80 percent recycling rate for calendar year 2005.

Mr. Wayne S. Pennell, MAA Deputy Executive Director for Maintenance, Utilities and Terminal Services, attributes the increase to “the partnership of several groups which have worked diligently to raise awareness of the recycling efforts at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.”  The partnership has included: 

·  BAA (Tenant)

·  Tenants (airlines and concessionaires)

·  Chimes (recycling collection)

·  BFI (hauler and processor)

·  Midpoint International (container supplier)

·  Maryland Environmental Service (technical support) 

The MAA, owner and operator of BWI, has 33 front-end containers located on the airfield and cargo area and 43 recycling containers in the terminal building for recycling by passengers and tenants.  The recycling containers in the terminal are bright, multi-compartment containers that have space for both trash and various recyclables. 

The Maryland Environmental Service (MES) serves as the recycling advisor to the MAA.  MES has served both airports since 1995, providing numerous recycling services, including: 

·  Analyzing material in solid waste and recycling containers (twice a month)

·  Conducting weekly inspection of compactor loads

·  Making recommendations on improvements to programs

·  Discussing recycling at monthly tenant meetings

·  Monthly reports, including recycling rate 

When MES and MAA identified the low recycling rate (4.75 percent) in February 2004, they met with BAA, the new concessionaire for the Airport.  BAA met with other tenants at BWI (food, retail and airlines) and convinced them to participate in the program.  Within four months, the recycling rate jumped to 10 percent and within seven months, exceeded 20 percent. 

The major commodity in the recycling increase has been corrugated boxes.  When the general public thinks of airport recycling, they tend to think of the newspapers, bottles and cans coming off of the aircraft; however, corrugated boxes have accounted for over 100 tons of recyclables per month in recent months.  Other recyclables include paper products, aluminum, plastic bottles, scrap metal and tires. 

For Calendar Year 2005, the recycling rate for the two airports was 24.80 percent, with nearly all of the tonnage coming from BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.  In addition, the program saves approximately $15,000 per month by reducing landfilling, sending out full containers, less compactor maintenance and generating revenue from the sale of materials.

MES has also worked with Airport staff to increase purchases of recycled products.  MAA is already buying recycled office paper for copying and other purposes and tissue and towel products containing recycled material.  The recycling containers located in the terminal, manufactured by Midpoint International, are made from about 90 percent recycled plastic, which is important to note, as these purchases of recycled plastic create markets for the materials collected. 

As a result of these efforts, the Maryland Environmental Service has received approval for a grant from U.S. EPA Region III to continue and expand the recycling effort.  The final grant award is pending.  MES has also made presentations about the program before the Airport Purchasing Group, the Solid Waste Association of North America, the American Association of Airport Executives and the Maryland Recyclers Coalition.  They are expected to make presentations before the Airports Council International and the National Recycling Coalition in Fall 2006.  The airport has received inquiries on the program from Atlanta, Cleveland and Philadelphia.

While the MAA is very pleased with the recent increases in recycling, the sky’s the limit.  MAA officials believe that 30-40 percent recycling is possible using the current system.  The inspections conducted by MES indicate there are plenty of recyclables still in the waste stream.  More education and training of employees as well as continued diligence by tenants can result in even more gains for recycling.