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Play Ball, Recycle, and Compost

April 19, 2016

Its baseball season! And, of course, along with the Great American past time come lots of waste. So, thought I’d combine my passion for composting and baseball to offer you a look at composting at sports arenas. As with special events, people are gathered largely to enjoy themselves. So recycling and composting have to be easy, conducted with simple and consistent messages, and most of all, not interfere with patron enjoyment. Capturing recyclable materials from sports fans has become fairly universal; collecting food scraps however, is a definite challenge.

Get On Base with Zero Waste

In Texas, minor league team Round Rock Express Baseball and Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) entered a partnership to make Dell Diamond a minimal-waste facility. At the forefront of sports stadium waste management, TDS developed a sustainability plan that combines single-stream recycling and food-waste composting to maximize the amount of materials diverted from landfill disposal.

Round Rock Express

Zero Waste Program

 

What is Compost?
Primarily items that were once alive. This includes all food waste, all spoiled paper, bathroom paper towels, certified compostable containers and cutlery.

 

What is Recycling?
Primarily all plastic, aluminum, metal, and glass containers. Examples include: soda cans, beer bottles, newspaper, cardboard, etc.

 

What is Trash?
Primarily plastic utensils, potato chip bags and other prepackaged plastic food wrappers. This includes plastic bags, Styrofoam, straws, condiment packages, etc.

 

Through its partnerships, TDS, Round Rock Express, and concessions provider Ryan Sanders Sport Services (RS3) work together to serve as much food and drink as possible in recyclable or compostable containers.

Readily identifiable receptacles for compost items, single-stream recyclable items, and trash are in place around the stadium.  Fans are asked to participate by sorting waste into the appropriate container.

 "Our goal is to strive for zero waste," Express General Manager George King said. "That means diverting at least 90 percent of all waste our events generate away from landfills and to repurposing programs."

In fact, their marketing campaign slogan encourages fans to "Get on Base with Zero Waste." The campaign uses a range of educational promotions centered on the Team’s zero waste efforts. Diversion results are highlighted during games and a special “Talking Trash” teaching segment is featured during select half-inning breaks. Videos, signage and public service announcements display consistent messages that striving for zero waste is a responsible initiative benefiting everyone’s future. More importantly, it can be fun.

Sustainable Recognition

Raley Field’s River Cats were honored as a sustainable business for implementing composting. The Cats have partnered with Republic Services to place three-stream diversion receptacles clearly marked for recycling, food waste, and landfill around Raley Field in Sacramento, California. As part of the program, the River Cats and Republic Services have installed GreenDrop diversion bins in the Western Health Advantage Legacy Club, Tito's Solon Club, and all 36 suites on the Lasher's Elk Grove Acura Suite Level.

The River Cats' other sustainability partnerships and initiatives include printing their game day program – “The Inside Pitch” - with 100% recycled papers and vegetable-based inks. They also partner with Green Acres Nursery & Supply to create the Raley Field Gardens, with the goal of growing food for local food banks and promoting the benefits of growing healthy lifestyles.

4 A Greener Game

The St. Louis Cardinals began their "4 A Greener Game" program at Busch Stadium during the 2008 season. Now more than 25 volunteers per game assist to ensure program success. To date, more than 2,400 tons of recycling and over 800 tons of yard waste have been diverted from the Stadium’s trash disposal. There are 550 conveniently placed recycling bins around the stadium, making it easy for fans to recycle. Volunteers collect recyclables during games and maintenance staff separate additional recyclables from the trash after a game.

The St. Louis Cardinals Green Team is comprised of volunteers from local colleges, community organizations, and church groups, who join the Green Team initiative and help collect recyclables from fans throughout each game at Busch Stadium.

The team has also implemented a food donation program, successfully diverting an estimated $150,000 in food donations to local charities. The Team has achieved a 37% diversion rate. In celebration of Earth Day, the St. Louis Cardinals will host their 7th annual Green Series, April 29 through May 3, with activities designed to promote reusing, recycling and solar power, both inside and outside of Busch Stadium.

Results in a Ball Park

gogreen_250

In 2005, the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park was the first sports stadium to participate in the City of San Diego's Food Waste Composting Program.  All concession stands and restaurants within Petco Park participate in the food waste diversion efforts. At the conclusion of all ball games and other major special events in the Park, food waste is disposed in a dedicated compactor. The food waste is then taken to the Miramar Greenery where it's turned into compost. The finished compost is used in the ballpark for landscaping.

An average of 1.7 tons of pre- and post-consumer food waste per game are collected for composting during the baseball season. All leftover edible food is donated to local charities. Grass clippings, a major organic material generated at ballparks, are also composted.

The Park’s comprehensive recycling program and the food scraps composting program have resulted in a 77 percent waste diversion rate.

For its use of locally sourced foods, Petco Park was rated as one of the top stadiums in the country for their sustainability efforts and food quality. In a joint report by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Green Sports Alliance, the Padres and concession partner Delaware North were recognized as “Champions of Game Day Food.”

More on ball park sustainability and take away tips for implementing food scrap composting in next week’s blog.

By Athena Lee Bradley


Through its EPA Healthy Communities Project and EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, NERC is working to promote wasted food composting in Vermont. Join the Challenge! Contact Athena(at)nerc.org for information and assistance.

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