Malaga : June 1, 2022
On Wednesday, Aena presented its VI Award for Environmental Management of Companies at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, in the Suppliers Category, to Envera for its waste management service at the airport, which is carried out by 24 professionals with disabilities and which has treated more than 11.5 million kilos in the last 5 years, including pandemics.
In line with its commitment to minimize the airport's environmental footprint and its firm commitment to achieve a more sustainable air transport, Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport rewards, once again this year, the good environmental practices of the companies that operate in the airport. The philosophy of these awards is to recognize the work and commitment of all the companies that work in the Malaga infrastructure in reducing their environmental footprint and their contribution to the improvement objectives evidenced during the year evaluated in the environmental controls carried out by Aena.
The president of Envera, José Antonio Quintero, whose professional life has always been linked to the aeronautical world as a commander of Iberia, was in charge of collecting this award: "Thanks to Anea for this recognition that not only shows Envera's commitment to sustainability and excellence, but also demonstrates that people with disabilities play an important role in society. Today we are very happy, in this Malaga - Costa del Sol airport that is also our home, because we are moving a little further towards the goals of the 2030 Agenda set by the UN and to which we are firmly committed".
Along with Envera, SLCA was also recognized as a handling agent, and in the commercial client category, Areas. During the awards ceremony, Aena has "highlighted the significant improvement achieved in the control of environmental aspects, especially with regard to waste management, as well as the collaboration and effort made to adapt to the new requirements arising from environmental legislation".
Since 2001, Envera has been developing this service at Malaga airport, which has become a benchmark for its quality and social perspective, providing employment to more than twenty people with disabilities, and has been the subject of reports in various media.
As explained by Miguel Angel Ramirez, Envera's delegate in Malaga, this social entity works with Aena for sustainability, inclusion and the firm commitment to contribute to compliance with the most demanding regulations in terms of waste management and recycling.
In addition, with this initiative, Aena generates an important social impact in Malaga with the social and labor inclusion of people with physical and intellectual disabilities, contributing to Envera's mission.
Ramírez also highlighted the efficiency of the service, which has managed to increase the number of selective collection points for paper, cardboard and packaging in the administrative area of the airport by 50% in the last five years, with some 250 collection points. This is an example of the process of generalized growth of collection in a greater number of these enclaves to facilitate their deposit by all passengers and workers.
Transparency and innovation are also hallmarks of the project. Each year, Envera carries out characterization plans of the material collected in order to endorse the data presented to the Ministry and the competent administrations. This flow of information is one of the most important tools, as it enables the detection of critical points for improvement actions in segregation at source.
In this sense, Envera has developed its own information management system that allows Aena to have information on incoming and outgoing material flows, service incidents and additional collections, which facilitates better decision making almost immediately.
Throughout the years of the project's life and in its aim to weave a network of alliances, Envera has established collaborations with other entities that have made it possible to include the management of packaging and its waste in the Ecoembes recycling network, increasing the guarantees that all managers and facilities involved in the packaging waste process comply with all applicable regulations and, in particular, with state, autonomous community and local environmental regulations.
Finally, Envera also participates in awareness campaigns in collaboration with the airport's management office and environmental area, as well as with Ecoembes.