As MSP Airport celebrates Earth Month in April, we're excited to reflect on recent progress toward sustainability goals.
Passengers’ perspective on the airport played a role MSP’s #1 satisfaction ranking among mega airports in the J.D. Power 2025 North American Airport Satisfaction Study. And MSP’s dedication to sustainability is evident throughout our terminals.
Key sustainability achievements at MSP in 2025 included:
• The airport diverted more than 500 tons of organics for compost, or more than 1 million pounds.
• Our concession partners recovered 66,400 pounds of food for donations, equal to 55,320 meals. MSP works with the Loaves and Fishes program to bring pre-packaged, left-over items to area residents in need. Launched in 2017, the program serves dozens of locations across the seven-county metro area.
• Our airport water refill stations were used 9.1 million times in 2025, reducing an estimated 780 pounds of single-use bottles every day, which is an increase of 7% since 2024.
MSP also continues to make progress on water conservation and reducing carbon emissions. In MSP Airport bathrooms, recent remodeling work included water-saving fixtures that reduce water usage. For emission reductions, the airport has installed EV charging stations in several of our ramps, partnered with airlines to utilize more efficient arrival procedures and taken steps to advance renewable energy resources, including large solar arrays installed atop three parking ramps.
In another sustainability initiative, passengers play a key role in the airport’s ongoing efforts to minimize food in the waste stream. In recent years the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) piloted a project to collect food scraps from diners at the Terminal 1 food court. The project integrated an artificial intelligence technology named “Oscar AI” to assist passengers with sorting waste into appropriate bins, helping to address a common barrier to successful organics recycling.
“Travelers have demonstrated that they want to contribute to reducing waste,” said Emmy Waldhart, the MAC’s sustainability manager. “We watch patterns at the airport and provide the infrastructure and education passengers need to help us make continual progress.”