Reduced environmental impact and strong community programmes underpin Gatwick’s sustainable growth

Reduced environmental impact and strong community programmes underpin Gatwick’s sustainable growth

• Recycling and reuse hits 64% with all empty coffee cups and plastics recycled and zero waste sent to landfill
• Gatwick spent £128 million with local suppliers, sponsored 52 community events and funded 162 other local causes
• 7% reduction in airport’s noise footprint in 2018 compared to previous year

The ‘Decade of Change’ tracks Gatwick’s progress on a series of sustainability goals and the report for 2018 - published today - shows that the airport has reduced its environmental footprint and developed a strong programme of support for the local economy and local communities.

The ten goals that make up the Decade of Change report are set over a ten-year period (2010 to 2020) and this year’s results include:

• Recycling and reuse increasing to 64%, with all empty coffee cups and plastics recycled and zero commercial and operational waste sent to landfill
• Carbon emissions from ground energy are now 50% less than in 1990 which is halfway to net zero.Aircraft emissions remained at 2017 levels and surface access emissions fell slightly
• Gatwick’s contribution to the local economy saw 57% of Gatwick staff employed from the local area and £128 million spent with local and regional suppliers
• Gatwick’s contribution to the local community included £192,248 raised for charity partners, 52 community events sponsored and 162 other local causes funded
• Securing the Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark certificate
• Achieving 44% of passengers arriving at the airport by public transport
• Reducing the airport’s noise footprint by 7% in 2018, compared to the previous year
• Reducing the airport’s water consumption by 5%, compared to 2018

In addition, Gatwick continues to operate well within annual air quality limits for NO2, PM10 and PM25.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport, said:
“Our Decade of Change programme combines responsible environmental management with strong community programmes and has allowed us to grow while also reducing our environmental footprint. We recognise that there is more to do and we will continue to strive in the years ahead on our journey to become the UK’s most sustainable airport.
“Achieving the aims of our Decade of Change programme involves real teamwork and thousands of airport staff have contributed to its success. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has played a part and I look forward to working together to achieve next year’s goals.”

Highlights from 2018 include:

1. Welcoming the UK’s first commercial flight with fuel made partly from waste gas emissions – which has the potential to deliver a 65% reduction in greenhouse gasses compared to conventional jet fuel
2. Reducing Gatwick’s noise footprint by 7% through improved operational procedures - including smoother descents that reduce drag and use less power – and by phasing out the noisiest aircraft and introducing new, quieter aircraft
3. Becoming the first airport in the world to launch FAXI – an incentivised carpooling app for staff – helping to save 73,861 vehicle miles 30 tonnes of CO2 and 25 kg of NOx.The Faxi smartphone app enables employees to find colleagues who share the same route and commute times
4. Being headline sponsor for the Big Bang festival - the biggest single celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK. In 2018, 9,500 students aged 9 to 19 attended from180 schools.Gatwick sponsored 52 community events in 2018 in total.
5. Provided funding through the Gatwick Foundation Fund to 60 local community projects across Sussex, Surrey and Kent and to 102 local causes through the Gatwick Airport community Trust, with £192, 248 also raised for charity
6. Gatwick collects discarded materials from around 2000 bins across the airport every day.The airport achieved a 64% waste reuse/ recycle rate in 2018 – and averaged 70% in the first three months of 2019.The airport achieved this through measures including:

• All food scraps collected from retail outlets, offices and EU flights are converted onsite to biomass for heating.
• 60% of clothing discarded in bins is sent to charity shops for resale and 40% sent to be recycled into fibres.
• All warehouse pallets and 95% of airfield/ cargo pallets are returned to suppliers for reuse.
• All dry mixed materials collected are recycled: dry paper and cardboard, all empty bottles, cans and other beverage cartons, plastic bags and sheeting.
• Used cooking oil is de-packed, heated, cleaned and filtered before being sent for recycling into biodiesel.