On June 30th, the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report on sustainable food practices in U.S. professional sports stadiums. The study, titled Champions of Game Day Food, marks the third time that the two advocacy groups have released a joint report, the first two of which were concerned with general sustainability in professional and collegiate sports venues.
The NRDC is a highly-respected environmental advocacy organization based in New York City with six offices in the U.S. and one in Beijing. It has over two million members.
The GSA was created in 2010 by Vulcan Inc. and the NRDC. It maintains partnerships with sports teams, venues, and leagues in 14 countries. Over half of America’s four major sports teams are members, including 25 MLB teams.
The report distinguishes five categories of environmentally intelligent food services consisting of menu design, procurement, preparation, packaging, and waste diversion. The latter is a very diverse category that includes water, land use, emissions, and safety management. Waste diversion is perhaps the most complex of all five categories because it is often a last-ditch effort at sustainability when facilities neglect smart planning.
The GSA’s founding members include four Seattle pro teams, as well as a few other teams from the Pacific Northwest. The west coast in general along with the Northeast are considered by many to be geographic hotbeds of environmental advocacy and innovation, and this report definitely promotes that sentiment.
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The report contains case studies of both very new venues (Levi’s Stadium, LEED GOLD certified for new construction) as well as venues that have been around for a while (Moda Center, LEED GOLD certified for existing buildings). It contains many best practices and innovative ideas.
However, the report fails to criticize stadiums for their lack of sustainability. In fact, it even highlights AT&T Stadium, which consumes 3 times the amount of energy as Liberia can produce and Sonoma Raceway, where 20 cars drive 350 miles each. It is surprising that the GSA would choose to highlight venues that consume so much energy in a report about sustainability.
Nevertheless, many stadiums are revolutionizing the way we view food production at sporting events. PETCO Park recycles 100% of its used cooking oil as biodiesel fuel and donates it to public transit and school busing. At both AT&T Park and Wells Fargo Center, almost 100% of food packaging is either recyclable or compostable. At Edward Jones Dome, 100% of burgers and hot dogs are antibiotic-free and humanely raised. While anyone can throw around statistics, one number speaks louder than the rest: 100%.
The virtues of food sustainability are obvious. It represents the humane treatment of animals, the reluctance to waste precious resources, and how society is working to battle climate change. Because of its wide appeal in the U.S., the sporting world has the ability to flip the narrative on societal issues. If stadiums decide to give 100% of their effort to sustainability, maybe sports fans will begin to flip their own narrative on sustainability and climate change.