As the 54th Super Bowl just happened, did you ever think about how much waste we accumulated within hours on a Sunday afternoon? On average, around 40 tons of waste can be generated from this one day only event.
For more than 25 years, the NFL has been the leader in sports event sustainability, creating the first significant stadium solid waste recycling project in America at Super Bowl XXVIII in Atlanta in 1994. A couple of years ago, the NFL, PepsiCo and U.S. Bank Stadium Partners (including Aramark, SMG and The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority) teamed up to score the first zero-waste Legacy Project at Super Bowl LII. This initiative aims to divert 90 percent of the waste to be composted and recycled.
This year’s venue took place in Miami, Florida at the Hard Rock Stadium. Hard Rock Stadium is aiming to eliminate 99.4 percent of its single-use plastic this year. About 500,000 plastic cups are normally used during a Super Bowl, but this year they gave out reusable cups in partnership with our favorite jar manufacturer, Ball Corp. In addition, unsold food on game days will be donated to local charities. Hopefully other large scale events can incorporate this movement as well!