I recently had an opportunity to visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) in Atlanta. It is the home of the Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United Football Club (soccer). I went on a tour of the stadium and was very impressed by the steps the owners of the building are taking to minimize its environmental impact. In fact, the stadium was just certified to TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum for its zero waste efforts in January. MBS is the first professional sports stadium worldwide to achieve TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste. Ninety percent of the waste from the stadium is diverted from the landfill.
Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE certification recognizes buildings and projects which have implemented the foundational programs and policies of sustainable waste management and reduction practices, which contribute to positive environmental, health and economic outcomes.
How does the stadium achieve zero waste? Here are some steps that are being taken:
- Using supply chain items made from recyclable and compostable materials;
- Leveraging a 6,000-square-foot resource recovery room (R3) to reclaim, sort and divert materials from landfill;
- Sustainability education and engagement programs for fans, associates and the stadium’s food and beverage partners; and
- Recycling and compost bins added to every stadium suite.
“Businesses must go beyond our current wasteful practices and think critically about how to redesign processes so that less waste is produced in the first place,” says Peter Templeton, President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. “Implementing zero waste business practices requires rethinking, retraining, new tools, and strong leadership to change current waste systems. With Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s leadership in this endeavor, they are making great strides for their employees, community, and the sports industry at large.”
In 2017, MBS became the first professional sports venue in North America to reach Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest level for the green building certification program. LEED is the industry’s internationally recognized rating system for environmentally conscious developers and administered by GBCI.
MBS also employs a variety of other sustainable practices, such as water retention (rain harvesting), energy conservation, alternative transportation, urban garden and agriculture programs. MBS has instituted partnerships with like-minded organizations such as Coca-Cola, Georgia Power, Novelis, phade, Waste Management and Ecoworks to further enhance its efforts.
Be sure to visit the MBS Sustainability page to learn more about the property’s efforts.
