Oakland International Airport Adds Recycling Stations

Contact: Rosemary Barnes, 510-577-4246 or 888-403-7972 (pager)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 22, 2002

OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland International Airport will observe Earth Day Monday with the installation of five new stations where visitors may deposit newspapers, cans and bottles for recycling.

“As passenger volume has expanded, the need for recycling stations has increased,” said Steven Grossman, director of aviation for the Port of Oakland, noting that Oakland is the only Bay Area airport expected to end the fiscal year with an increase in passenger traffic over last year.

“Efforts such as these are part of the Port’s Sustainability Policy, and this particular project both helps the environment and cuts operating expenses,” he added. The Sustainability Policy, implemented in November 2000, is designed to achieve a balanced approach involving the "3 E's," environment, social equity and economics.

The recycling stations will be located at the entrance of Terminal 1, the beginning of the Terminal 1 concourse, the stairs and escalators in Terminal 2 and in the Terminal 2 baggage area.

Estimates are that the recycling station will support cutting the airport’s waste disposal costs, now $240,000 a year, as much as 50 percent.

"The Port of Oakland is committed to sustainable development," said Executive Director Tay Yoshitani. "We are changing the way we build and operate for present generations in ways that do not compromise the needs of future generations. This recycling program is one step among many that the Port is undertaking as part of our sustainable practices."

Among airport projects supporting the sustainability policy are the use of natural gas vehicles, use of a new non-toxic runway cleaning solution for regular maintenance, a procedure for reclaiming at least 75 percent of the runway cleaning solutions and an emphasis on community concerns when the main runway was repaved last summer.

Use of natural gas and other alternative fuels also is a major component of the policy. The airport operates a fleet of natural gas vehicles and has instituted a requirement that 50 percent of taxis and 25 percent of the door-to-door shuttles use natural gas or other alternative fuels. The public also may purchase fuel at the airport’s compressed natural gas station, located at the North Airport at 7855 Earhart Road.

Oakland International Airport served 11.4 million passengers and handled more than 600,000 metric tons of air cargo in 2001, and a passenger volume of approximately 12 million is projected for the fiscal year ending June 30. Oakland International has more than 200 flights a day on 11 domestic and international carriers to 32 nonstop destinations, including the Hawaiian Islands, the New York area, Atlanta and Mexico. The airport is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland.

Oakland International is the only Bay Area airport with a dedicated shuttle bus that meets every Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system train at the nearby Coliseum station. On-airport parking rates are $18 a day in the long-term lot and $15 a day in the economy and overflow lots. For toll-free information assistance on ground transportation and parking services, call 1-888-IFLYOAK (435-9625) or visit the airport's Web site at https://www.oaklandairport.com.