Dubai-based air service provider, Dnata, announced it has reduced waste generated from its ground services equipment (GSE) by 110 tonnes (t).
The company said that since it launched a recycling programme for its Dubai fleet of 12,000 GSE units earlier this year, more than 80 units have been renewed at the GSE maintenance base, resulting in reduced waste generation.
As part of its target for 2017, the company expects to recycle around 140 pieces of GSE, which it says will result in more than $3.5m (AED13m) savings, and reduce waste by 250t.
Dnata’s GSE maintenance facility, which is located at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and spans 36,000m2, is staffed by 1,145 employees who ensure that GSE that can be renewed is not unnecessarily discarded.
By replacing parts that need renewing, the lifespan of a GSE can reportedly be extended up to 18 years, the company said in a press statement.
The company has also started converting the forklifts in its cargo operations to electric units.
Of the 102 forklifts it has in Dubai, 73 are already electric, Dnata revealed.
The company aims to replace the remaining diesel-powered forklifts with electric alternatives by the end of 2017.
This move, the company added, will reduce the carbon footprint of its cargo operations by 80% and its CO2 emissions by 47t per year, as well as generate fuel savings of 200,000 litres per year.
Gary Chapman, president of Dnata, commented: “Our reality is that sustainability is [a] necessity, not a choice, and at Dnata, we endeavour to meaningfully fulfil our environmental responsibility wherever we operate.
“We are motivated by the success of our GSE recycling programme in Dubai. It provides us with a tangible way to reduce our carbon footprint at the source, rather than carbon offsetting as a way of merely clearing the corporate conscience.”
He added: “It has been rewarding to see the impact of this initiative, and it is the start of many initiatives dnata has in the pipeline to bring about a change in the way we use resources, in our effort to promote sustainability.
“We are getting creative and innovative when collaborating with our equipment suppliers, to seek more environmental efficiencies for our fleet.”