Super Bowl LII Will Be First Ever Zero-Waste Big Game

January 30th, 2018

By Eric Frisch, 10x Management Contributor

For the first time in its history, the Super Bowl is going green. And we’re not just talking about the field. Super Bowl LII (52) will hopefully be the first ever zero-waste Super Bowl. Inspired by a new generation of planet-conscious students, Rush2Recycle and the NFL are challenging everyone to recycle more, and it all starts with the big game. While the Super Bowl tends to bring pictures of American excess to mind – from the food to the drinks to the ticket prices to the halftime show – this year’s Super Bowl in Minnesota will be an attempt to show the NFL cares about renewable resources and the long-term health of our planet. On average, the Super Bowl produces about 40 tons of waste. That’s 3.2 MILLION pounds of waste. Where does all that waste end up? Traditionally, landfills.

But this year, the NFL, Super Bowl food provider Aramark, sponsor PepsiCo, and U.S. Bank Stadium have pledged that 100% of the waste produced at the game will be either recycled, composted, or taken to a local waste-to-energy incinerator. It’s a marvelous undertaking and one that we’re proud to see take place. Fast Company describes exactly how it will work:

“To get the initiative up and operating on game day, the sponsoring companies hired around 200 local students who, along with a team of volunteers from PepsiCo, will serve as project ambassadors at the stadium; they’ll be stationed around bins, informing visitors as to what can be composted, recycled, or thrown in the trash.”

We’ve talked about the amazing potential for recycled materials on this planet before when we looked at an engineer using plastic waste to create new roads. It is our duty as consumers on this planet to give back, and recycling is an easy way to make a difference. How can you get involved? Post on your social media tagging Rush2Recycle, tell your friends you’re proud to recycle, and share as much information as you can about the benefits of recycling. And enjoy the game! Hopefully you’re cheering for the Philadelphia Eagles (they are the green team after all), but either way, we’re glad you made it here!

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