Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners now recycle or compost about 80% of the waste at their games at Safeco Field.
The team has set a goal of having the first stadium that sends zero waste to landfills. They’re well on their way because nearly all the food and packaging used at Safeco Field is compostable since they switched to bioplastic cups, napkins, straws, utensils, paper trays, etc.
Now they’re using compostable bioplastic bags – used in the kitchen and at all the concession stands. The bags are made by German chemical company BASF.
The bags contribute to the program’s success by removing potential sources of contamination and making collection cleaner, hygienic and more efficient.
The team’s recycling efforts divert an estimated 900,000 pounds of peanut shells, leftover food, compostable service ware and grass clippings from the garbage stream each season.
The Mariners have also reduced consumption of natural gas 60%, electricity 30% and water 15% since 2006. Through a major capital investment program in energy efficiency, the Mariners are saving an estimated $500,000 a year in energy costs.
The Mariners are a founding member of the Green Sports Alliance, which formed earlier this year. Teams from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Major League Soccer (MLS) are collaborating on a common agenda to reduce their impact on the environment.
The Green Sports Alliance is also participating in President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge:
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