Marco Polo Airport, Venice

As the number of travellers, goods and services at airports increases, efficient waste management becomes essential for logistical, environmental and safety reasons.

Traditional waste management often creates more problems when it comes to adapting to the volume and complexity of waste at airports and often relies on manual collection. This can lead to inefficiencies and higher operating costs, generate regulatory fines and damage the airport’s reputation.

The implementation of the pneumatic waste collection system at Venice Airport responds to these significant challenges, while also seeking to promote long-term efficiency and sustainability. The positive experience and the goal of achieving “zero waste” have led SAVE to include PWCS (pneumatic waste collection) in its Masterplan for 2037.

This Masterplan includes expanding the pneumatic system to all major airport buildings with 6.5 kilometres of pipes.

The pneumatic system developed by Envac consists of an initial network of more than 500 metres of underground pipes through which waste is transported from the production sites, distributed inside the terminal, to the collection station installed on the ground floor.

Once in the collection station and thanks to an automated system, the waste (already separated) is stored in three hermetically sealed containers, one for each different fraction: dry waste, glass, plastic and cans, and wet waste (paper is treated using a different, specific procedure). From here, the waste is collected periodically by VERITAS, the public company responsible for waste collection in Venice and the surrounding area, for transport to recovery and treatment centres.

Combining the group’s technological know-how, global experience, and knowledge of local market needs, a 100% adapted and customised system has been designed and developed. It consists of a single waste collection station and three waste disposal points. The two external ones are strategically positioned in the outdoor area and feature three inlets each.

The indoor disposal point serves four floors of the airport. Each of these inlet points collects three types of waste and currently manages around 4 tonnes of waste per month (data as of July 2025).

The system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers many advantages in terms of sustainability:

• The separation of different types of waste is carried out efficiently, allowing greater control over waste classification and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Automated collection and storage process management eliminates errors and waste mixing; the system now manages 33% of the total waste generated by airport operations.
• The system drastically reduces vehicle traffic both in the air and on the ground, improving airport logistics and security.
• The direct transport and storage of waste in containers located at the collection centre has eliminated the need for multiple vehicles to transport waste to the airport’s ecological island, with an expected saving of approximately 6 tonnes of CO2 per year.
• Pneumatic collection minimises waste handling, improving the working conditions of operators.
• In addition, it eliminates intermediate storage spaces for collection, improving cleanliness, the airport’s image, and the passenger experience.