Lincoln Financial Field is one of the most sustainable arenas in the world. As you can imagine, nearly 70,000 guests can generate tens of thousands of pounds of trash in his one day. But fans can rest easy. The stadium he is 99.9% landfill free. Waste generated during matches, concerts or events is sorted by a sorting team of 60 people so that everything can be recycled. The stadium boasts a closed loop recycling program. It reuses bottle caps and other plastic products and recycles them into new materials. In 2021, five park benches will be made from 100% recycled stadium seats, reusing 1,890 pounds of plastic shrink wrap.
“There are some really cool ways to revolutionize the recycling process,” says Vossschulte. “For example, the stadium drywall has filler material made from shrink-wrap deliveries that reach the stadium, another example of our closed-loop recycling efforts.
From the fireworks that celebrate the start of the game to the Eagles’ battle song pulsing through the speakers after a touchdown, the gameday experience is one to remember. It’s all powered entirely by clean energy. Lincoln Financial Field does not use fossil fuels. His 40% of the energy the stadium uses is generated on-site by solar panels that generate 4 megawatts of electricity per year. The team has the largest solar power system in the NFL.
“Whether our fans are parked under the solar panels on the K lot, sitting under the canopy on the 200th floor, or blocked by the wind and rain at the south end of the stadium, we are Having a cover to keep you dry gives you peace of mind, and you’re actually generating clean energy,” added Vossschulte.
Our efforts to become a more sustainable organization are not just within Lincoln Financial Field. they spread all over the world. To fully offset his CO2 and blue carbon emissions generated by the team’s travels, the team sought the most effective solutions through meaningful dialogue with experts in the field. Most recently, he moved to London to represent the organization at the Sport Positive Summit. Held in conjunction with the United Nations Climate Change Commission and the International Olympic Committee, the summit welcomes over 500 Sustainability Leaders from sports organizations around the world to share their best practices in the field of sustainability. Did.
“Through my various conversations with scientists, I have learned that investing in the ocean is very important. , because only about 20% of them live in these areas of the world, and the ocean has it,” Voss-Schulte said.
“Right now 80% of it is lost. This is very important because it is where all life begins and ends. If we don’t invest in the ocean now, we face big problems It will happen.”
The team that discovered it decided to expand their strategy to include afforestation to contribute to marine conservation by planting seagrass in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico. Scientists calculate modes of transport and distance traveled each year to identify how much seagrass needs to be planted to offset emissions. In 2021, about 456 tons of CO2e will be offset by his three acres of seagrass. According to Vossschulte, the team found that the effect led to even more positive outcomes.
“But more importantly, it has the dual effect of not only offsetting blue carbon, but also creating new habitats for marine life, which is very important for sustaining life in general. It also creates local jobs, which may be disadvantaged, for those who depend on it as their main source of income and food.
From earning LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for implementing practical and measurable sustainability solutions, to becoming the first professional sports team to receive ISO 20121 certification, we’ve seen organizations incorporate sustainability into their management practices. It is an international standard designed to help you integrate into your business and processes. They have reached a milestone that many have never seen. The Eagles have an ECO team (short for Engagement, Communication and Operations) made up of employees across the organization.
“The ECO Committee meets quarterly to discuss the goals of the organization. We are phasing out plastic products and are now using straws that dissolve in seawater and become food for fish. said Vosschulte.
These goals, he says, have caught the attention of the National Football League as well as fans.
“We recognize and appreciate what our team means to Philadelphia and Eagles fans around the world,” said Vos-Schulte. “We want them to be proud of who we are on and off the field. With that comes a lot of responsibility. We take that seriously. .”
“Through our ongoing sustainability efforts, we hope to inspire as many people as possible so that the planet can be passed on to future generations.”