Bucharest International Airport is the largest airport in Romania and one of the biggest collectors of plastic bottles. Since the beginning of this year, over 7 million people have passed through the airport, and of course, most of them discard their bottles before the security check. The resulting plastic waste is immense, not only in Romanian airports but worldwide.
The context
Many airports globally have already found a solution to this problem: free water refill stations. This allows passengers to refill their reusable bottles, avoid the overpriced water in airports, stay hydrated, and help the planet by reducing plastic waste. This is an initiative already well-known, and many airports have already implemented this practice. If you pass through airports in Sofia, Oslo, London or other cities, do not forget your reusable bottle—you can always refill it.
Health issues
Some may argue that it's fine to skip drinking water at the airport. However, the reality is that a person spends approximately three hours in the airport, plus time on the plane, which can easily extend to five hours or more if there are delays. Going this long without water can be detrimental to our health, especially for pregnant women, children, or individuals with health issues. According to specialists, lower humidity in the air can lead to quicker dehydration. "During a flight, the humidity level is lower than normal, which makes us dehydrate more quickly because about 50% of the air circulating in the cabin is pulled from the outside. This low humidity also exposes our bodies to germs and drains our energy", says dermatologist Dr. Veronica Scoarță, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest.
Free water spots at Bucharest Airport?
Knowing this, the question arises: when will we have free water spots at the largest Romanian airport? According to them, very soon: "Bucharest Airports National Company (CNAB) intends to ensure, in the near future, consumption points supplied with drinking water in public areas. " - Communication Service, CNAB. That sounds amazing, so we were also curious about the possibility of passing the security check with recipients larger than 100 ml, as is already the case at Cluj-Napoca Airport. The official answer is: "Probably at the beginning of next year, specific equipment will also be installed at Henri Coandă International Airport. We want to highlight that the traffic at OTP is twice that of all other airports in Romania combined, and therefore the process of purchasing and installing equipment requires more time."
Ready for the change
We are looking forward to these improvements. However, the volunteers from GEYC - a Romanian NGO promoting sustainability, remain skeptical and want to see concrete action before they believe it. They have already started a campaign in this regard and are in discussions with the relevant authorities. An official document has been sent to Bucharest Airports National Company requesting concrete answers and deadlines. If you support the initiative for free drinking water spots at Bucharest Airport or elsewhere in your community, come together as a group, speak out to your local authorities, take concrete actions, and make it happen.
An article by Ana Căldare.
STSL24 is a campaign powered by GEYC in the frame of the Sustainable NGOs project aiming at empowering the GEYC Community members to take action on water related issues.