Airplanes lined up at Fiumicino Airport in Italy, Credit: Anna Holodna
Author: Marco Troncone, CEO and managing director, Aeroporti di Roma
Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) is one of Europe's leading airline operators, managing and developing Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports. Rome Fiumicino 'Leonardo da Vinci' is the strategic gateway to Italy and one of the world's best airports, ranked among the top 10 in the world and one of only 12 airports to hold a Skytrax five-star rating worldwide. By 2025, Fiumicino will exceed 50 million passengers, once again consolidating its role as a major international hub.
Within this context, the circular economy has emerged as a key factor for improving competitiveness while reducing pressure on the environment, especially in complex infrastructures such as airports, integrated systems where the flow of passengers, aircraft, commercial activities, construction sites and operational services meet. In ADR, the circular economy is therefore not an independent initiative, but a strategic operational model that includes the development of infrastructure, daily operations and the behavior of stakeholders.
This idea is reinforced by the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by ADR in 2025 with the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, which recognizes the airport ecosystem as a platform for developing circular economy models. At Rome Fiumicino Airport, this translates into concrete evaluations, including circular principles in projects, activities and user-facing solutions that produce measurable results and useful insights for the wider sector. In other words, a 'round harp.'
Infrastructure included
In Rome Fiumicino, construction and renovation projects are considered as progressive projects instead of static assets, prioritizing redevelopment (brownfield) over demolition where possible. The design combines the minimum Italian environmental criteria and international standards such as LEED and BREEAM, embedding modularity and reversibility to facilitate adaptation and restoration of materials. ADR has already certified more than 75 percent of Rome Fiumicino's final infrastructure under LEED or BREEAM, extending the life of assets and reducing reliance on new services.
Roads, pavements and roads are increasingly composed of recycled materials, including bituminous conglomerates with high recycled content and aggregates from demolition. By 2025, recycled materials will account for more than 50 percent of those used in finished projects. Quarrying and decommissioning materials enable them to be reused in foundations and non-structural applications, reducing waste and the need for raw materials. Dedicated processing plants within the airport perimeter support this closed-loop approach. These procedures are focused on technical specifications through defined limits that balance recycled content with operational and safety requirements and are already used in all major projects at Leonardo da Vinci Airport.
Daily operations at the circular airport
Alongside the infrastructure, the circular economy extends to the daily operations of the airport. At Fiumicino, waste management is a key activity designed to increase the efficiency and quality of waste separation at the airport.
Within the terminals, separate collection systems are supported by dedicated recycling centers and supervised by specialized operators. A tax model that combines a fixed component with a variable fee linked to the generation of untreated waste encourages improved separation at the source by commercial operators, directly targeting environmental performance and cost savings. The system is gradually being developed with digital monitoring tools that track collection, transport and disposal, improve data quality and control performance.
Water circulation is also central to the operation. Fiumicino Airport is equipped with an advanced system to recover and treat non-potable water from the biological treatment area and the Tiber River, which significantly reduces the use of potable water for heating, irrigation and sanitation systems. Every year, more than 70 percent of the water used in Fiumicino is not potable – saving the equivalent of 500 Olympic swimming pools.
Behavioral change accompanies these technological solutions. In order to meet the appropriate challenge of waste separation in a complex, multi-cultural passenger environment, ADR has introduced smart bins at the Fiumicino terminals. Developed by an Italian startup, it uses artificial intelligence to identify waste in real time and provide feedback, improving the quality of sorting while generating data to support analysis and targeted awareness campaigns. Following successful pilots, which recorded a 60 percent reduction in plastic sorting errors, the system is now being scaled up as a permanent part of the ADR operating model.
Refillable drinking fountains provide commuters with an efficient alternative to disposable plastic bottles, while collaborations with retail operators promote circular packaging solutions. Partnerships with organizations such as 'Too Good To Go' have enabled, from the launch of this program until Q1 2026, more than 10,000 meals to be saved in Rome Fiumicino, corresponding to the estimated avoidance of approximately 30 tons of CO₂ emissions, while reducing food waste and increasing the value of resources.
Across infrastructure and operations, digital acts as an enabling layer, enhancing traceability, accountability and decision-making. By improving the visibility of material and waste flows, ADR progressively improves the use of resources, lowers operating costs and identifies additional recovery opportunities throughout the aviation ecosystem.
Moving beyond the linear economy
On an airline scale, the economic basis for circulation is clear. Systematic use of recycled materials in infrastructure works reduces procurement costs and dependence on raw materials, while better waste segregation and increased recycling rates lower disposal costs and improve the availability of critical components. This success contributes to a strong operating model where environmental performance and financial behavior reinforce each other.
For Rome Fiumicino, the circular economy represents a forward-looking growth strategy instead of marginal efficiency. By redesigning infrastructure and acting as regenerative systems, ADR strengthens resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly resource-stressed world, supporting long-term value creation while reducing growth's environmental impact.
