As of late, teams from other sports–one of which, the Chicago Bears–have risen to the challenge of making a direct impact on society. For the past two years, the Bears have joined forces with Constellation, the official energy provider at Halas Hall and a leading energy supplier in Illinois, to undergo a project tabbed “Save Da Planet“.
Last year, the project ran from October 7th through the game against the New York Giants and wrapped up on the 11th. During the entire week devoted by the Bears, they disseminated the message of enacting sustainable business practices and raising awareness to conservation issues, which included persuading fans to partake in environmentally-friendly practices and implement proactive ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle their environmental footprint.
Though their recent efforts with Save Da Planet have been noteworthy, it would in all likelihood benefit Bears fans and other members within the Chicago community to use a more efficient resource that can be found right in their backyard.
As with any community, large quantities of people generate tons of trash and all that waste has to go somewhere. Traditional garbage trucks have posed both environmental and convenience problems for the community. They use a heavy amount of diesel, which, in turn, contributes to the pollution of the atmosphere. In addition, the loud noises the trucks make during their morning rounds each week may leave citizens in the neighborhood uneasy.
Other more efficient means must be considered when it comes to collecting trash. The city of Chicago has adopted electric garbage trucks that are each expected to save 2,688 gallons of diesel and $11,000 in maintenance costs annually. The goal of the city is to add at least 20 of these trucks to its existing 600 within the next five years. In addition, they will also operate with minimal noise, much to the delight of the numerous Chicagoans.
Though a remarkable development within the community, this could also have the potential to enhance the eco-friendliness of the sports world, particularly with the Chicago Bears. As we’ve seen with Save Da Planet, the Bears prudently use their prominent status in society to promote the efficient use and conservation of resources. On the team’s website, it provides their eco-friendly resume; where this is concrete proof that the Bears actively reduce, reuse, and recycle, which is reflected in the following facts: a reduction of energy usage from the stadium by over 24 percent, the reuse of field turf as their facilities, and the placement of over 250 recycling bins, both inside and outside of the stadium.
In the future, the Bears could go even further in their attempts to go green. The next step would include fan interaction. Usually a sports organization includes both a marketing and promotions department. They are responsible for building fan awareness for events and designing programs and activities for fan retention. To incorporate an environmental theme, these departments should include question and answer sessions on the Jumbotron during timeouts, pass out eco-friendly bags that offer rewards, such as discounts, for their reuse, or even go as far as holding green events throughout the week–to show that it’s something bigger than football.
In direct regards to the implementation of the new garbage trucks, it would benefit the Bears to hold information sessions and potential funding opportunities to assist in expediting the process.
It is imperative for the Chicago Bears to continue to set the stage for other teams to tag along in spreading knowledge to the public on the conservation of resources. They are off to a great, green start; and supporting initiatives from their local community, like the new electric garbage trucks, is an excellent trendsetting move.