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Baseball Goes Green http://www.fmlink.com/article.cgi?type=Magazine&title=Baseball%20Goes%20Green&pub=FMJ&id=30958&mode=source By C.T. Nice and Patrick Walsh May 2015
When baseball fans visit ballparks across America this season, the outfield grass won't be the only green they see as part of their game day experience. In March, Major League Baseball announced a partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to create a Team Greening Program. The program sets out to coordinate and support the many environmentally-friendly practices now utilized by nearly every major league team.
Implementing "all-star" facility programs With protecting the environment a league-wide priority, baseball clubs and their partners that provide professional services such as food and facility services, are teaming-up to integrate environmentally-friendly practices into their operations. This season alone, the Seattle Mariners played the major leagues' first carbon-neutral game at Safeco Field, while Boston's Fenway Park earned an Environmental Merit Award for excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With a client roster that includes Safeco Field and Fenway Park, ARAMARK Sports & Entertainment manages food and beverage and/or housekeeping and custodial programs for 15 Major League Baseball teams. In order to implement industry-leading practices, it's critical to work closely with team partners to strengthen existing in-stadium environmental efforts as well as introduce new programs that reduce the environmental impact of food and facility services, while enhancing fan experiences. At Houston's Minute Maid Park, San Diego's PETCO Park, Denver's Coors Field, Atlanta's Turner Field, Fenway Park and Safeco Field, facility services teams are pitching in by utilizing Green Seal-certified cleaning solutions, supplies and equipment for many applications. Green Seal identifies products and services that protect the environment from toxic chemicals, noxious fumes and wasted resources. After each game, facility services workers at Turner Field are asked to clean 1.1 million square feet of restrooms, concourses, suites and seats. Applying environmentally-friendly chemicals can make a tremendous impact.
Recycling by the tons A strong recycling program is the cornerstone of any and all sustainability campaigns. Recognizing the importance of recycling, ARAMARK Sports & Entertainment is working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise program to provide successful and efficient programs at ballparks.
To increase the efficiency of any recycling program, it's important to make sure receptacles are strategically placed throughout the ballpark in high-traffic areas so fans can easily notice them and differentiate between the recycling bin and regular trash can. Facility service teams must regularly collect, separate and remove the recyclables. This is critical because a full recycling bin will leave fans no choice but to co-mingle recyclables with normal trash. The amount of waste that recycling reduces is significant. For example, after each game at Minute Maid Park, facility services workers and Waste Management—a leading provider of environmentally safe waste management services—are able to separate and collect four tons of cardboard, aluminum and plastic from the more than 14 tons of trash generated on game-day. While the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series, in 2008 their home ballpark—Fenway Park—earned an "Environmental Merit Award" for excellence from the EPA.
Doubling-up at Coors Field Coors Field has implemented a strategic recycling method of "picking" the seating bowl, which utilizes teamwork to clean the ballpark's more than 50,000 seats and 1.3 million square feet of space. As soon as the final out is recorded, facility services crews disperse throughout the ballpark in two teams— pickers and blowers. The pickers begin at the highest row of seats and work their way across the row and down toward the field. They carry two sets of trash bags, black and clear. All large trash items, including trays, plastic bottles, cups and paper, are separated with trash in the black bag and recyclables in the clear. Once the picker clears the aisle, the blower cleans up the left-over litter such as peanut shells (with more than 300 pounds of shells collected after each game, this is quite a task) and small wrappers. Typically armed with a leaf blower or broom, this worker blows the litter down the row to the aisle and down the aisle to the lowest level where it piles for collection into trash bags. Once all bags are filled, they are hauled away by additional workers making separate runs for trash and recyclables. Recycle-picking at Coors Field has led to a best-practice, which is now utilized at several ballparks.
Game day preparation In addition to the concourses and the seating bowl, recycling also takes place behind the concession stands. It's important to take steps to reduce or avoid waste even before it is generated. Utilizing recycled-content supplies or purchasing materials with reduced packaging are just two ways to cut back before products arrive at the ballpark. To effectively recycle glass, plastic and cardboard generated at concession stands, it's critical to have a plan. One proven method is to separate bottles and place them in a recycling bin after its contents are poured into a cup for fan consumption. This bin should then be regularly collected by another team member. Cardboard box waste is also primarily generated behind concession stands and in loading areas. Once the contents of a cardboard box are removed, the box should be broken down and moved from behind the concession stand to a recycling bin in the concourse. A crew should then be assigned to move the piled cardboard to the collection area. Because the success of any recycling program is dependant upon fan participation, it's important to promote the ballpark's plan. The more educated and the more often fans are reminded of its importance, the more likely they will be to participate in supporting the stadium's recycling efforts. Working in conjunction with team management, public service announcements during the game can help take the program to the next level.
Citizens Bank Park is one of several ballparks offering locally-grown produce and organic menu options in addition to traditional favorites.
Environmentally-friendly food services Several ballparks are utilizing environmentally-friendly products in their food service operations to reduce the amount of waste generated during a ball game. Coors Field, Fenway Park, Minute Maid Park, Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, Oakland's McAfee Coliseum and Pittsburgh's PNC Park have introduced bio-degradable service ware and/or cups. These products are made from renewable resources such as corn, resin, sugar cane and bamboo—allowing the ballparks to more easily reduce the use of non-biodegradable products sent to the landfill. Many ballparks are also using napkins made from 100 percent post-consumer fiber, while others have introduced carry out trays made from the same environmentally-friendly materials. To help cut-back on consumer waste, many stadiums have also opted for condiment dispensers instead of individual packages. This reduces a significant amount of excess. At ballparks where ARAMARK provides food services, fans consumed more than 140 thousand hot dogs combined on opening day alone—which translates into a considerable amount of mustard and ketchup packages rescued from landfills. Several ballparks, like Minute Maid Park, recycle food waste. The leftover food becomes compost, which is then available for local farmers to use as fertilizer. In addition to turning leftover food into fertilizer, fryer-oil that has been used to cook ballpark favorites can also be beneficial to the environment by being converted into bio-diesel fuel. At Minute Maid Park, Coors Field, Fenway Park and Citizens Bank Park concessions providers have partnered with local certified vendors that help collect the oil and convert it into fuel. Bio-diesel is a clean-burning, domestically produced renewable fuel that can run in unmodified diesel engines. Providing business opportunities to the local community can also have a positive impact on the environment. Several stadiums, such as Fenway Park, utilize locally-grown produce. This requires less shipping, uses a lower amount of energy and creates less pollution. Ballparks like Turner Field and Citizens Bank Park also offer organic options, which reduce the amount of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers released into the environment.
Touching all the bases of an environmentally-friendly fan experience Throughout baseball, teams and their food and facility service providers have been utilizing environmentally-friendly practices for several seasons. Major League Baseball's partnership with the NRDC will provide even more opportunities and resources as ballparks move forward with incorporating earth-friendly practices into game day food and facility operations. This strategic initiative will help reduce the carbon footprint of America's favorite pastime and continue to make attending a professional baseball game an enjoyable and environmentally-friendly family experience for generations ahead. FMJ
About the authors
As vice president of food and beverage for ARAMARK Sports & Entertainment, C.T. Nice is responsible for developing programs and strategies that promote ARAMARK's culinary standards, concessions and premium dining services across the company's Stadiums & Arenas, Convention Centers & Cultural Attractions and Harrison Lodging lines of business. With more than 25 years of hospitality experience, Nice brings a wealth of industry knowledge to his role. He is an active participant in numerous industry associations and has previously served in various capacities for the Policy Board, Convention Industry Council; The Art Institute Culinary School, Employers Advisory Council; Event Host and Planning Committees, Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Houston Host and Planning Committee, G8 Summit. Pat Walsh joined ARAMARK Sports and Entertainment as vice president of facility services in January 2007. He is responsible for developing programs and strategies that promote ARAMARK's custodial, maintenance, grounds and plant operations services across the Stadiums & Arenas, Convention Centers & Cultural Attractions and Harrison Lodging lines of business. With more than 25 years of experience, Walsh has held key leadership positions in facility management and operations at Sightlines, LLC, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, SmithKline Beecham Clinical Labs (SBCL), GE Aerospace, and SKF Industries. FMJ, the official publication of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), provides relevant coverage of worldwide industry trends that impact today's facility management professionals. Articles submitted to FMJ become the exclusive property of IFMA upon publication and are subject to all applicable copyright provisions. Questions regarding permission to reprint, reproduce or use material should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief,
[email protected]. IFMA is the world's largest and most widely recognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 23,000 members in 85 countries. The association's members, represented in 130 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational programs, recognizes facility management degree and certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world's largest facility management conference and exposition. For more information, visit www.ifma.org.
