THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) eyes to be the country’s first plastic-free air hub.
Starting this year, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. prohibited its concessionaires from using the non-biodegradable single-use plastics and polystyrene containers in restaurants and retail stores located in Terminals 1 and 2.
Under the policy, GMCAC encourages the use of eco-friendly and reusable substitutes.
To date, 80 percent of the concessionaires are already using biodegradable alternatives such as plant starch utensils, paper cups and straws, wood stirrers, paper bags, and carton boxes for takeaway food.
“We took this step forward starting with our commercial partners as our commitment to environmental sustainability,” said GMCAC chief executive advisor Andrew Acquaah-Harrison said in a statement Wednesday, September 11, 2019.
In 2018, MCIA produced a monthly average of 3,500 kilograms of plastic waste from its restaurants and shops. That has gone down by close to 30 percent or a decrease of around 12,000 kilograms per year. (CSL)