Refill Stations in Airports
High-end, attractive refilling stations can be installed at airpots for an enhanced passenger experience, with some offering regular, sparkling, and hot water. In 2021, SFO expanded its policy to prohibit sales of all plastic bottles; sodas and juices must now be sold in recyclable aluminium and glass or compostable containers. This is the case of San Francisco (SFO) Airport, which in 2021, SFO expanded its policy to prohibit sales of all plastic.
San Francisco (SFO) set out to eliminate trash from landfills in 2016. The selling of water in plastic bottles or aseptic paper packaging was prohibited by SFO's Zero Waste Concessions Policy, which was implemented in August 2019. A daily average of 10,000water bottles were being sold at SFO at the time. With the help of this initiative, 1,000,000 fossil fuel-based beverage containers are kept out of landfills annually, and energy-intensive manufacturing is further avoided. SFO has given airport merchants a guide to approved plastic beverage bottle alternatives, such as recyclable aluminium and glass or compostable containers. In addition, SFO installed 100 hydration stations across the airport to expand access and encourage passengers to bring refillable bottles.