For example, the Kansas City Aviation Department (of the Kansas City International Airport) is being honored through the Outstanding Leadership in Recycling award by the Missouri Recycling Association for their recycling efforts. The airport has heavily increased recycling at commercial gates and collects scrap metal from on site shop operations. Most notably, the airport's fleet of buses that regularly are stuck on the stop and go traffic of an airport (a major portion of emissions are emitted upon breaking) are powered with less-polutingnatural gas.

According to Greenopia's airline research, Continental, Horizon and Virgin Airlines are using new planes that use fuel more efficiently, and are testing out biofuels. Probably the most valuable green effort is that these airlines offer carbon offset purchases for customers.

European airline, Flybe, has established a printer cartridge and cell phone recycling program for customers to reduce waste streams and pollution. Customers who recycle cartridges and phones earn reward points.

Programs in airports like these can begin to offset the impact of an industry that by necessity emits pollutants in order to conduct business.

Sometimes we wonder how much airlines consider others when the levy extra fees on customers and the sometimes wretched conditions that travelers experience. These green efforts send the message that airlines want to do the right thing and care about the world they operate in.