Tampa International Airport To Showcase Green Initiatives In Honor Of Earth Day

TAMPA, FL — Tampa International Airport is honoring Earth Day 2023 with plans for a first-ever special exhibition Wednesday featuring community sustainability efforts.

Members of the TPA interior landscaping team will be showing off their Living and Breathing Art display, while more than 20 airport and community partners, including Alaska Airlines, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit and United, will be in the main terminal to highlight what they’re doing to help protect the environment and reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.

Other participating partners include the University of South Florida, the Sustany Foundation, Sunken Gardens, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, TECO, Publix, the Tampa Bay Clean Cities Coalition, the city of Tampa Parks & Recreation Department, WellFed, the Florida Botanical Gardens and several others.

TPA’s Sustainability and Resilience Program Director Eric Caplan, who is organizing the event, said he's excited to share news about some of the airport's latest environmental initiatives and how TPA and the surrounding region is planning big for an even greener future ahead.

Earth Day this year falls on Saturday, April 22.

“We've never done anything like this in conjunction with some of our community partners, and we're hoping this will be both fun and educational for our guests, employees and travelers,” Caplan said. “The Tampa Bay region, as well as the aviation industry, have made a lot of strides in protecting and preserving our natural resources, and I think this will be an eye-opening exhibition.”

In 2022, the airport's new office building, SkyCenter One was certified LEED Platinum, with energy-efficient interior materials and water-efficient plumbing fixtures. The building was constructed with recycled, locally sourced materials and features landscaping with 100 percent stormwater capture and reclaimed water irrigation.

TPA's recently constructed central utility plant runs off 100 percent reclaimed water and helps reduce power and water consumption for the main terminal.

The Earth Day exhibition is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Main Terminal Event Space on Level 3, between the E and F shuttles. The event is free and open to the public.