SINCE ABOUT 2000, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has been the busiest airport not only in the United States but also in the world. Each year more than 100 million passengers pass through the gateway, so it only makes sense the airport continues to evolve.

ATL serves 150 domestic and 75-plus international destinations throughout 50 countries. The city lies within two hours of 80 percent of the United States population by flight, making it one of the most useful gateways in the world for travelers coming into or going out of the country.

Because of ATL’s position as a major gateway for U.S. arrivals and departures, there are plenty of layovers in Atlanta. As a result, much of the airport focuses on creating a desirable spot for a stop, be it for a few minutes or a few hours.

Airport Art develops art from local artists by way of com- missions before integrating the artwork and performances into the DNA of the airport. The program maintains 10 permanent exhibits throughout the airport in highly visible locations. Travelers from around the world can also appreciate three rotating exhibits, including galleries of works by children in Georgia’s school systems.

ATL strives to become the world’s greenest airport as well. GreeningATL — the airport’s commitment to supporting people, the planet and its profit — pursues a common-sense strategy to allow sustainable operations into the future. In an effort to reach this goal, the Georgia Department of Aviation put a few policies into place for the airport to follow, ensuring maximum sustainability. ATL employs a zero-waste policy to reduce the amount of trash it contributes to landfills, aiming to divert 90 percent of the airport’s total waste production from local landfills.

The gateway’s efforts continue with its participation in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Food Recovery Challenge. The challenge works to reduce the environmental impact of materials. Right now, the airport participates by recovering 30,000 pounds of edible food daily and delivering it to local needy communities.

The list of ways the airport works to keep travel sustainable goes on and on. A sustainable food court initiative requires all concessions to use compostable materials, and all new buildings are at least LEED Silver certified. When buildings are taken down, pieces are used in other construction projects around the airport.

Every year ATL participates in the Airports Going Green Conference and hosted it in 2018. The conference allows airports to showcase successful initiatives and come together to create sustainability solutions that can work on a large scale. It’s certainly a positive sign for environmentalism and sustainability moving forward as the world’s busiest airport takes the initiative as a leader in this realm.