FAAN Launches Recycling Programme to Cut 1,383 Tonnes of Airport Waste

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched a waste recycling programme at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, as part of efforts to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills, lower carbon emissions and promote cleaner airport operations.

The initiative, unveiled on Wednesday, is expected to form part of a broader circular economy strategy under which waste generated within the airport environment will be sorted, recycled and converted into useful resources rather than being disposed of entirely in landfills.

Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, said MMIA generated approximately 1,446 tonnes of waste in 2023, while the figure declined to about 1,383 tonnes in 2024.

Despite the reduction, Kuku said virtually all of the waste generated at the airport was disposed of in landfills without being sorted or recycled.

She described the situation as a significant missed opportunity and said the new programme would fundamentally change the way waste is managed across the airport.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, the FAAN managing director said the initiative would begin with the introduction of indoor colour-coded waste recycling bins across the airport terminals to enable passengers, airport workers and other users to separate waste at the point where it is generated.

“In 2023, this airport generated approximately 1,446 tonnes of waste. By 2024, we recorded a modest yet encouraging reduction to about 1,383 tonnes. However, the sobering reality remains that, regardless of volume, every single tonne was consigned to landfill completely unsorted, entirely unrecycle and representing a monumental lost opportunity,” Kuku said.

She said the launch marked the beginning of a comprehensive circular economy programme that would be implemented in three phases.

The first phase, which has now commenced, involves the deployment of indoor, colour-coded recycling bins designed to encourage source separation of waste within the airport terminals.

According to Kuku, the approach will make passengers, staff, airport operators and other stakeholders part of the waste management process by ensuring that recyclable materials are separated from other forms of waste before collection.

The second phase will involve the introduction of larger outdoor colour-coded recycling bins that will serve as central collection points for sorted waste generated across the airport ecosystem.

The third phase will see FAAN engage a certified third-party recycling expert to collect the separated waste and transport it to designated recycling facilities.

The materials targeted for recycling include plastics, glass, cans and organic waste.

Kuku said the partnership with recycling experts would ensure that waste is not merely transferred from one location to another but is instead processed and converted into usable materials.

“This partnership ensures that our waste is not merely moved, but transformed,” she said.

The FAAN managing director said the programme was not being introduced simply to meet regulatory requirements or follow international environmental trends, but also because of the potential economic benefits to the organisation.

She said adopting the waste management hierarchy of reuse, recovery and recycling would help FAAN better account for the waste generated across its airport operations while potentially reducing operational costs.

According to her, recycling could reduce the organisation's dependence on newly manufactured materials and lower some of the costs associated with procuring new products.

“This initiative will assist the organisation in significantly reducing overhead costs associated with procuring new products. By creating a demand for recycled materials, we close the loop and lower our operational expenditure,” Kuku said.

She also said the programme would significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills, thereby easing pressure on the environment.

Kuku disclosed that the recycling initiative was only the foundation of a broader environmental strategy, with FAAN planning to activate a Waste-to-Power initiative in the future.

The proposed initiative would seek to convert suitable waste generated within airport operations into a source of energy, potentially creating another avenue for reducing waste while supporting the authority's sustainability goals.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, commended FAAN for introducing the programme, describing it as part of a global movement towards cleaner and greener airports.

Keyamo said airports around the world were increasingly adopting environmentally sustainable practices, particularly in waste management and efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

He noted that international aviation organisations, including the Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), had placed greater emphasis on environmental sustainability and the development of cleaner airport infrastructure.

“What we are launching here today is actually a trend all over the world. And the trend is to move our airports to cleaner and greener airports,” Keyamo said.

He congratulated FAAN for the initiative, noting that the transition from conventional waste disposal to recycling and other environmentally friendly practices was consistent with the direction of the global aviation industry.

The minister also pointed to wider efforts to move airports away from fossil fuels and towards cleaner forms of operation, noting that some airports in the United Kingdom were already pursuing zero-emission targets.

The launch comes as the aviation industry faces growing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint and adopt more sustainable operational practices.

For FAAN, the immediate focus is on ensuring that waste generated at one of Nigeria's busiest international airports is properly sorted and diverted from landfills wherever possible.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the FAAN Board, Abdullahi Ganduje, assured the authority of the board's support and guidance in implementing the programme.

Ganduje said the board would work with the management to ensure that the initiative was sustained and achieved its intended objectives.

The programme is expected to begin with waste sorting inside the airport terminals before expanding to larger outdoor collection points and, eventually, third-party recycling operations.

If fully implemented, the initiative could mark a significant shift in waste management practices at MMIA, transforming the airport's current landfill-dependent system into a more structured recycling model while laying the groundwork for FAAN's longer-term plans for waste recovery and waste-to-energy generation.