The initiative, which follows from 2018’s successful Recycling Week where 2000 reusable cups were handed to staff, aims to inform the thousands of colleagues across London Stansted of the environment team’s efforts, from the creation of habitat areas to recycling drives and environment protection. As part of London Stansted’s sustainable growth, last year the airport built a new habitat creation area, made up of four new ponds and green areas.
Schools and parish councils within 10 miles have also been invited to plant trees, and staff can take them home if they sign a pledge to take care of it for at least two years while it acclimatises. All trees will be marked on a map to see how far and wide they’re planted.
The week consists of activity including:
- Monday 18 March: Stand in airport’s Enterprise House atrium with free trees, quiz and cupcakes
- Tuesday 19: London Stansted CEO Ken O’Toole and Manchester Airports Group CEO Charlie Cornish to plant their trees, plus staff stand and giveaway
- Wednesday 20: Environment team tour of on-site businesses to raise 3rd party awareness of our biodiversity
- Thursday 21: Tree-planting at local schools including Bishop’s Stortford College
- Friday 22: Staff and business partner tour of new on-site habitat creation area
Martin Churley, Environment Manager at London Stansted Airport, said: "The aim of Biodiversity week is to highlight all the good work the business is doing to maintain and improve our biodiversity across the airport site. We hope to get staff engaged in our work, and following the huge uptake of free cups last year we wanted to be even more ambitious with our tree giveaway. At London Stansted Airport we have also made a commitment to be zero net loss to biodiversity, so initiatives such as this help ensure we not only achieve this, but that the airport grows in a sustainable way."
Stansted environmental credentials:
- From 2016/17 Stansted Airport’s operation became carbon neutral
- Stansted Airport send 0% of waste to land fill and 75% of all waste is recycled
- 100% of electricity from renewable sources since Stansted was acquired by MAG
- Stansted has a higher proportion (53%) of passengers using public transport percentage than any other UK airport. Everyone working at Stansted gets an 80% reduction in the cost of public transport with 33% of staff using public transport for work journeys.
- Environmental standard ISO14001 accredited and the first UK airport to meet the energy management standard ISO50001
- Surrendered items such as food, toiletries and toys which can’t be taken through security are sent to local foodbanks