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Lanzarote Airport is committed to improving the environment and the quality of life for Lanzarote inhabitants. With this commitment in mind an Environmental Management System (EMS) was implemented and in December 2002 it received certification under the ISO 14001 international standard.

The Environmental Management System enables the identification and evaluation of environmental issues generated by airport activity, prepares counter procedures, monitors and controls these issues, fixing environmental objectives and ensuring that they are fulfilled.

With the certification under the ISO 14001 international standard, the airport has demonstrated its concern for the environment and its strong commitment, both in the present and in the future, to environmental quality and the sustainable development of the island of Lanzarote, declared World Biosphere Reserve in 1993.

The implementation of the Environmental Management System has created environmental improvements for the island of Lanzarote and its inhabitants, thanks to objectives achieved and which are summarised as follows:

• Reduction in the consumption of electric energy
• Treatment and reuse of sewage
• Management of generated waste

Furthermore, the Environmental Management System includes a company control procedure that evaluates conduct in terms of the environment. Through this procedure, Lanzarote Airport collaborates with environmental friendly practices of the companies operating in the airport grounds and, at the same time, controls the environmental issues of others that could affect the airport.

Reduction in the consumption of electric energy

Taking into account that electric energy is generated based on petroleum product combustion, the decrease in consumption by the Lanzarote Airport contributes to the conservation of natural resources and a reduction in atmospheric contamination.

The reduction in electricity consumption has been achieved with optimisation and minimisation actions designed to increase efficiency. The most noteworthy actions include:

• switching off lighting in the areas in buildings not being used during prolonged periods during the day. To do this, the different zones have been divided into different areas according to use, installing partial metres and lighting them, or not, depending on the requirements.

Sewage

Airport sewage is generated by sanitary use. This water is channelled through a separate faecal water pipe network and sent, via pump stations, to the airport's own purifying plant, where it is treated.

The plant can deal with the needs of a population equal to 2,600 inhabitants and is capable of treating the chemical products produced by aeroplane toilets.

This purifying process provides:

• Purified water that undergoes the periodic analytical control required, controlled and authorised by the competent regional authority and is reused for the toilets in the airport lavatories and for watering green areas. This reuse reduces the consumption of a natural resource.
• Once the analyses required by the prevailing legislation have bee carried out, the sludge produced in the water treatment may be assimilated to solid urban waste.

Waste management

In compliance with the Waste Act, Lanzarote Airport has installed separate containers in its buildings for the selective collection of waste (glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, organic waste and batteries).

Organic waste is collected by the Municipal Service of San Bartolomé and the inorganic and hazardous waste (batteries, used mineral oil, fluorescent tubes, tyres, etc.) is stored separately in an area called the Clean Point, set up in compliance with prevailing legislation.

Once stored, the waste is delivered to authorised waste managers. In this way, waste recycling, treatment, reuse or deposit in a legal and controlled waste tip is guaranteed.