CHICAGO, 2013-04-22 — /travelprnews.com/ — In honor of Earth Day 2013, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) announces it has adopted a new Green Concessions Policy and Guide to Green Concessions Operations intended to provide concessionaires at O’Hare and Midway International Airports with guidance and standards for providing a more customer-friendly environment and experience that is healthier for passengers, employees and the environment.
No later than the end of 2013, all existing concessionaires at O’Hare and Midway are required to adopt and implement this policy. Over the next several months, the CDA will conduct outreach and training to all concessionaires to ensure that they are positioned to comply with the policy.
“Under the leadership of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the CDA is continuously improving and expanding its sustainability goals,” said CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino. “Chicago has been a leader in airport sustainability for the past 10 years, embracing the best possible environmental, social, and fiscally responsible practices to enhance the quality of life of airport stakeholders. The CDA’s new green concessions policy is among the first of its kind in the airport industry and is another great example of how Chicago’s airports continue to serve as a benchmark for environmental stewardship.”
The Policy mandates that all existing and future concessionaires comply with each of the following requirements:
– Ban polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) for all disposable consumer packaging
– Ban all petroleum-based plastic bags, including trash and take-out bags
– Ban all petroleum-based plastic disposable consumer containers and utensils
– Source-separate all solid waste refuse into Recyclables, Compostables, & Refuse (non-recyclable/non-compostable)
– Procure only green cleaning and hygiene products and soaps
– Increase procurement of sustainable foods to a minimum of 20 percent of total costs by 2016
– Procure recycled content paper for office/printing uses that has a minimum recycled content of 100 percent.
– Donate surplus food to the greatest extent allowable by food safety regulations
– Incorporate Sustainable Airport Manual© (SAM) guidance to the greatest extent possible and achieve a Green Airplane Rating for Concessions & Tenants
The SAM is an integral part of Chicago’s ongoing efforts toward implementing more environmentally sustainable buildings and civil infrastructure, incorporating best practice guidance for planning, operations and maintenance of all City airport facilities and functions, and those of its tenants.
The purpose of the SAM is to integrate airport-specific sustainable planning and practices early in the design process, through planning, construction, and everyday operations and maintenance of all airport functions with minimal impact to schedule or budget. Projects that successfully incorporate sustainability are awarded a “Green Airplane Rating” by the CDA, and more than one hundred projects have been rated to date. The SAM is available at www.airportsgoinggreen.org/SAM.
In 2011, the CDA unveiled the Green Airplane Rating system for Concessions and Tenants, and since then several concessionaires at O’Hare and Midway, including HMS Host and Midway Airport Concessionaires, have achieved a rating for their restaurants.
The CDA continues to challenge itself to capitalize on opportunities to make its airports even greener, and strives to lead by example in the global aviation industry and beyond.
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