BIAL urges passengers not to litter airport with used PPE

Bengaluru: Alarmed over the airport being littered with used personal protective equipment (PPE), Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of the Kempegowda International Airport, has urged passengers to use bio-waste bins to deposit the waste.

As part of its measures to contain the spread of the virus, BIAL has set up 139 bins of different sizes at the airport, to ensure safe disposal of bio-waste by passengers. Used PPE is found strewn across the airport campus, posing a health hazard to both passengers and staff.

The airport collects almost 800 to 1,000 kg of bio-waste every day. To protect passengers and staff from being exposed to the virus, BIAL is managing the disposal of bio-waste in a scientific manner, as stipulated by the government.

With travellers set to increase during this festive season, BIAL requests passengers to dispose of used masks, gloves and other protective gear at designated bins. In addition to this, dry waste, wet waste and colour-coded bins have been placed to collect waste such as food, plastic, metal and paper.

"The use of proper PPE like masks, gloves, face shield and hazmat suits are critically important in the fight against the virus. This has led to the problem of used PPE contamination at the airport. Once discarded, they become an alarming health and environmental hazard to both passengers and housekeeping staff. We request passengers to be mindful of this issue and maintain their commitment to keep their city and airport clean," said a BIAL spokesperson.