Sports stadiums across the world have taken on the challenge of becoming part of a green mission to help save the planet. This is quite a daunting task as it requires the examination of every aspect of the game, the venue, the attendance and the fans. University of Phoenix Stadium hosts the 2015 Super Bowl and has already set in place the key pieces required to ensure their obligation to go green. To step up to the plate on this topic, it means more than just installing low electric use high tech scoreboards and a bit of recycling. This is serious business.
To begin with, the University of Phoenix Stadium is part of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council. This is a community of tens of thousands of organizations that have set up guidelines to assist other companies and organizations to change the building and construction process into one that addresses environmentally friendly building. Working with an immense number of professionals in a variety of fields they educate, certify and offer guidance to those that want to have environmentally friendly building as part of their green mission.
The University of Phoenix Stadium has instituted a recycling program that includes the recycling of 120 tons of trash every year. They have specially designated areas for the recycling of glass and plastic, and they lease cardboard compactors for the intense amount of paper products. From an administrative standpoint, all office areas have paper recycling, with liners that are either reused or recycled. All electronics, including light bulbs, are processed through a special recycling waste company.
Since tailgating has become a major portion of the sports experience, the stadium gives the fans recyclable bags, free of charge to the tailgater attendees. The work with a waste management company for the monitoring and collecting of the recycled materials after each event.
The stadium works with the refreshment and concession stands to ensure that all participate in paper, glass and plastic recycling processes and have operation crews that maintain a full monitoring service of these and all other areas of the stadium.
Green products are used for pest control and cleaning the stadium so that there aren’t any toxic chemicals and this includes green friendly items such as mops and rags. The latter are choices made to preserve water. All bathroom products are also green products, from hand towels to toilet tissue. From a seating perspective, ten percent of the seats are made from recycle plastic. The system that they use for concrete deep cleaning is called a Hydro-Scrubbing process. It vacuums and power scrubs with the use of twenty five percent of water that would normally be used. Dual flush, water saving toilets and urinals have also been installed throughout the stadium.
Electrical use has been reduced with the installation of LED sports scoreboards, but the University has added motion sensors throughout the stadium to allow lights to go off when no one is around. It appears that the University of Phoenix has set the standards and it is expected that other stadiums will fall in line to conform to help save the planet, while enjoying the Super Bowl game.