Denver International Airport Celebrates Earth Day by Highlighting 20 Years of Sustainability

DENVER — April 22, 2015 — Denver International Airport (DIA) is celebrating Earth Day today with passenger events that recognize the airport’s major environmental achievements over the last 20 years.

The airport’s annual Earth Day celebration includes educational booths located in the center of the Jeppesen Terminal. Passengers may stop by the booth from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today to enter contests and receive free gifts in celebration of DIA’s commitment to sustainability. Displays in the terminal share major environmental milestones at the airport since its opening in 1995, from the green features built into the airport to new programs that are helping to further reduce DIA’s environmental impact.

“Denver International Airport is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and reaffirming our commitment to be a leader in airport environmental management,” said Scott Morrissey, DIA’s director of environmental programs. “Today, we are continuing to make new investments in sustainability by converting thousands of lights on the airfield and in the parking garages to energy-efficient LEDs, hosting new solar arrays, installing additional water bottle filling stations, adding electric vehicle charging stations and partnering with our restaurants to increase composting. Additionally, we are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to implement cutting-edge aircraft arrival procedures that will save money and reduce emissions. We hope our passengers join us this Earth Day to consider how we can all reduce our impact on the environment.”

Highlights of DIA’s environmental program include:

• New water bottle filling stations along the concourses have saved the equivalent of 1.2 million plastic half-liter bottles from going to the landfill since they were installed in 2013.
• DIA collected 75 percent of all deicing fluid applied to aircraft during the 2013-14 winter season, an industryleading percentage that prevented more than 1.35 million gallons of the fluid from being released into the environment
• DIA’s deicing fluid recycling system saved the airport more than $2 million in 2013-14 compared to the costs of treating the fluid as wastewater
• In 2014, the airport increased the tonnage of municipal solid waste diverted from the landfill by 7.5 percent
• All of Denver’s 109 passenger gates include 400 Hz electricity and pre-conditioned air to improve air quality and reduce noise on the airfield, while saving money by allowing aircraft to shut down their auxiliary power units
• DIA recycles more than 20 separate materials – from paper to plastic bottles to restaurant grease and construction debris
• DIA joined 30 other local governments and private-sector organizations in signing a memorandum of understanding to accelerate the deployment of clean-burning natural gas vehicles and natural gas fueling infrastructure in Colorado
• In 2013, DIA became the first commercial airport in the U.S. to design a truly comprehensive plan of Area Navigation (RNAV) that fully utilizes NextGen technology and procedures that allow aircraft to have smoother approaches and fly more efficient routes. The new procedures save 200-800 pounds of fuel per flight, resulting in fewer emissions and less wasted fuel. The airport continues to implement cutting-edge aircraft arrival procedures that are not in use anywhere else in the world.
• In 2014, DIA replaced 5,400 parking garage lights with energy-efficient LED fixtures, saving $327,000 per year in electricity costs
• DIA started composting in 2010, and between the Airport Office Building, terminal restrooms, and participating restaurants, now composts over 100 tons per year of organic waste
• DIA commissioned the first of four on-airport solar arrays in 2008, with the fourth array coming online in 2014. Today, they generate enough electricity to power 2,500 homes.
• DIA moved to a single-stream recycling program in 2007, and is now recycling nearly 2,000 tons of cardboard, plastic, aluminum, and wood each year
• In 2013, DIA opened 10 Level 1 electric vehicle charging stations in the public parking garages. This fall, the airport will add an additional 10 Level 2 charging stations in the garages
• DIA became the first commercial service airport in North America to have an internationally certified Environmental Management System covering all operations, and has been recognized as a Gold Level Leader in Colorado’s Environmental Leadership Program for 10 years

Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $36 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.

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