Green Initiatives and Dedication to Zero Waste Propels Safeco Field as the Green Standard among Sports Stadiums

The Seattle Mariners recycling rate at Safeco Field was 82% last season. They are committed to reaching zero waste in the near future. Flickr user: Philerooski

Is it possible for a baseball game, filled with 35,000 fans, to be waste free, green event?  It might be a stretch, but the Seattle Mariners believe that with creative environmental waste solutions and green education to fans, zero waste may be attainable in the near future. Their green initiatives have already drastically reduced the amount of waste collected at each home game and their recycling rate has increased by over 700% in the past 6 years. Their recent partnership with Cedar Grove composting has allowed them to better manage their waste stream and greatly reduce their waste disposal costs.  It’s no wonder that Safeco Field has become the green standard for sporting venues and the field of dreams for the eco conscious baseball fan.

The city of Seattle annually places in the top 10 for greenest city lists so it’s no surprise to see the Mariners strive for a sustainable future at Safeco Field. In July 2010, Seattle made it mandatory that all restaurants’ disposable products be either recyclable or compostable. This really helped the Mariners organization modernize their waste stream as Safeco Field became the first proving ground for co-branded compostable service ware.  As a result, they removed 500 of their garbage cans and replaced them with compost bins. So instead of piles of trash at the end of each game, they now have piles of compostable material that Cedar Grove composting hauls off and turn into a rich, natural fertilizer.  The Mariners close the loop by purchasing the finished compost back for use in their planters and other landscaping projects. Their waste reduction efforts  has led to an overall $70,000 reduction in waste disposal costs.

One of the challenges the Mariners face is making sure waste items are placed in the proper bin.  They believe that they can overcome this hurdle by properly educating their fans on proper disposal methods.  There are seventeen zero waste stations throughout the stadium and each bin is clearly labeled and include pictures of what belongs in each bin.  They still have a large error rate, but that can be corrected when during the sorting process.  One of the main objectives is making sure that the compost isn’t being contaminated with unwanted products and the Mariners believe they can counter this issue by being very selective in which products they use.  Cedar Grove composting makes this process easy because they only accept products that they approve which are clearly labeled with their logo and a brown stripe. So as long as the Mariners are purchasing Cedar Grove certified products, the compost stream should remain pure…unless fans are bringing in items.  That is the biggest obstacle for the organization.  They try to police their own products as much as possible, but it’s difficult to oversee every item fans bring into the stadium.  Also, most of the local fans are aware of Safeco Field’s environmentally sustainable efforts, but out of town fans are probably not as familiar with their system.  So the Mariners try to do their best by educating their fans with signage at the concession stands, announcements on the scoreboard and two environmental mascots, Captain Plastic and Kid Compost, who encourage young fans to join the “Green Team”.

Concession stands at Safeco Field have signs informing fans about their composting efforts. There are 17 zero waste stations set up throughout the stadium. Flickr user: jthoel

In addition to their waste reduction efforts, the Mariners have implanted other environmental initiatives to help with their carbon off-sets.  The Mariners purchase Green-E Certified Renewable Energy Credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation and green power from Seattle City Light’s Green Up program to offset the water usage and climate change impact of energy usage associated in various games throughout the season. Impacts to be offset include: 116,000 gallons of water per game, disposal or recycling of waste generated during the game and air travel emissions.  The electricity the Mariners purchase from Seattle City Light is already carbon-free and has no greenhouse gas impacts. City Light’s Green Up program supports the development of non-carbon, alternative energy sources.

The Mariners are founding members of the Green Sports Alliance, a coalition of Northwest pro sports teams and venues committed to sustainable practices to reduce their impact on the environment. From 2006-2009, the Mariners saved over $1 million in utilities costs (electricity, natural gas, water and sewer).Through a major capital investment programs and conservation measures, the Mariners are now saving an estimated $500,000 a year in utilities costs.  These conservation efforts save the equivalent of 5.1 million pounds of CO2, and are equal to having planted 703 acres of trees and taken 344 cars off the road.  In addition, Safeco Field has the lowest “energy intensity” of all MLB ballparks that participate in the EPA’s Energy Star program.

Will they ever reach their zero waste objective? Probably not, but they have to be the frontrunner to get as close to zero as possible.  And even though I’m a division rival, Angel fan, I will be rooting for them to one day reach that goal.

What are some of the environmental efforts that your teams are doing?

Tagged as: compostable, green initiatives, Sports, waste reduction