The Department of Aviation held its 15th annual America Recycles Day Celebration in honor of National America Recycles Day, November 15th. The event showcased the Department of Aviation’s and Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) and Northeast Philadelphia Airport’s (PNE) commitment to recycling and its successes in  waste diversion.  

Melissa McMullen, Department of Aviation Recycling Coordinator, presented on the airport's progress at the event, stating, "PHL has made great strides towards our zero-waste goal in recent years, and we are continually increasing the amount of waste that we keep out of the landfill. We are excited to celebrate America Recycles Day with our many partners who are committed to sustainable waste management here at our airports.”

Airport partners and local vendors provided exhibits to promote and encourage recycling, repurposing and even composting to passengers and employees. The exhibitioners included MarketPlace PHL, Philabundance, AeroAggregates, Bennett Compost, JP Mascaro, the Philadelphia Department of Sanitation, and local artist Terrence Woolford.  

MarketPlace PHL shared recycling program details, while Philabundance showcased their food donation partnership. AeroAggregates demonstrated their foamed glass aggregate product used in PHL construction projects, and Bennett Compost and JP Mascaro showcased their respective composting and recycling efforts. Terrence Woolford, whose art is displayed in Terminal B, led an interactive recycled materials art workshop for passengers and employees.

To reach the ambitious target of zero waste by 2035, the DOA has several initiatives underway including developing both a Waste Management Plan and a Waste Diversion Plan to establish new strategies for reducing landfill waste across all of PHL's and PNE's facilities. The Department of Aviation has also implemented Sustainable Design Standards, which require waste and recycling to be tracked throughout the construction and demolition process.

Additionally, the upgraded water bottle filling stations at PHL are on track to prevent a record number of plastic bottles from being used this year. Since 2018, these stations have helped prevent over 7.5 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfills, with nearly 1.3 million bottles saved in 2024 alone.  

Thanks to these efforts and others, the airport is well-positioned to achieve its 2035 goal, having reached an impressive diversion rate of 25.08% in 2023 and 25.34% from January through September 2024.