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MLB says it will become first pro league to track and share environmental data

Written by

Tom Kessler

in

From Green Right Now Reports

When it comes to greening up the sports world, Major League Baseball has decided not to dink out a couple of singles but rather to swing for the fences.

MLB said its teams will track and share best green practices and data.

MLB said its teams will track and share best green practices and data. (Photo: Major League Baseball)

MLB announced yesterday that in collaboration with the Natural Resources Defense Council it will develop a comprehensive software system to collect and analyze stadium operations data to track and distribute best practice information across all of its 30 clubs — the first time a pro sports league has developed such a comprehensive approach to tracking environmental data.

Initially, four categories of environmental data will be collected and calculated:

  • Energy use, including total energy used, sources of energy, and use of renewable energy
  • Waste generation, including total waste generated, materials diverted for recycling and composting, and cost of disposal
  • Water use, including amount of water used, water conserved, and cost of water use,
  • Paper procurement, including the amount of recycled paper used in club offices, in stadium restrooms and for yearbooks, game-day programs and media guides

Also, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, MLB said the league will host a variety of greening events and incorporate environmental initiatives into its games to help raise awareness for environmental issues. As a lead up to Earth Day and throughout the remainder of the season, MLB officials said its clubs will host special events at their parks, educate fans about environmentally responsible behavior, conduct green events in their cities and initiate a host of other activities designed to promote the importance of environmentally friendly practices.

“Major League Baseball has responsibilities to our fans and society at large that go beyond the playing field,” Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said in a statement. “Our clubs have made a commitment to sustainability and are leaders in their communities raising awareness and educating fans not just on Earth Day, but every day about environmental stewardship.”

MLB said its clubs will continue to use their unique visibility to encourage fans to become more eco-conscious this year through a variety of eco-themed activities, including:

  • Atlanta Braves: The Braves will showcase the green initiatives that the club and its partners practice every day as part of the Field of Green night taking place Wednesday, May 19. Fans are encouraged to bring recyclables to the ballpark that evening in exchange for a discounted ticket to the game.
  • Boston Red Sox: Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22 at Fenway Park during pregame ceremonies and throughout the game with scoreboard mentions, and all efforts will be presented by National Grid, the club’s partner in implementing environmentally friendly initiatives at the ballpark. The Poland Spring Green Team, an all-volunteer group now in its third year, will make seat visits throughout the game to collect recyclables from fans. The Red Sox also partner with Coca-Cola, Waste Management and Anheuser-Busch in recycling efforts in the ballpark and its front offices year-round. Fans also will see new water-efficient fixtures that were installed in new restrooms on the mezzanine level of Fenway Park, as well as the visitor’s clubhouse and grounds crew locker room.
  • Chicago White Sox: On Thursday, April 22, the White Sox will feature in-game videos providing conservation and recycling tips, along with White Sox “Green Initiative” facts on how fans can become more involved in helping protect the Earth.
  • Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are partnering with outfielder Chris Dickerson’s organization “Players for the Planet” to promote e-waste collection drives on April 22 and 24 at two local Kroger stores. The Reds also will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to off-set the carbon emissions for the Earth Day game. Representatives from Duke Energy and Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District will be at Great American Ball Park on Earth Day to provide fans with valuable information about how to save energy, increase recycling and reduce waste at home. During the 7th inning stretch of the Earth Day game, a “Green Team” comprised of 30-40 local volunteers will walk the aisles of the ballpark collecting recyclables from fans. At the April 25 game, the first 10,000 kids at the ballpark will receive a free eco-friendly kids water bottle. For the 2010 season, more than 1,000 members of the ballpark staff are wearing polo shirts made from recycled PET plastic bottles. Each shirt contains yarn made from six to seven recycled plastic bottles.
  • Cleveland Indians: All fans entering Progressive Field on Saturday, April 17, will receive an Indians Recycled Cap made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. The cap will be green with white script “Indians” across the front. Indians players also will wear a special New Era Cap during the game made out of recycled material.
  • Detroit Tigers: The first 10,000 fans will receive a “Going, Going, Green!” Tigers Coffee Clutch presented by DTE at the game on May 29. Throughout the season, excess food is packed and then distributed to homeless shelters throughout Metro Detroit. Large recycling containers resembling a bottle are used to recycle plastic bottles. In 2007, the Tigers installed the Tiger Den seats, which are composed of recycled plastic milk jugs.
  • Houston Astros: The Astros Play Green program enters its third season with an April 22 launch event featuring Play Green ambassador Hunter Pence joining the Astros front office staff at the Westbury Community Garden project to construct the garden’s learning pavilion, which will educate children about organic foods, healthy eating and nutrition. Later that evening at Minute Maid Park, the Astros will take the field in green caps and fans will receive information from a variety of Astros partners and environmental community groups on how they can Play Green at a green expo.  The Astros will purchase renewable energy credits to ensure that the power supply at Minute Maid Park for the Earth Day game will be “green power.” Throughout the season, Pence and Geoff Blum will visit “green” classrooms in the community to read a book encouraging kids to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
  • Kansas City Royals: The Royals Green Team presented by Allied Waste is new for the 2010 season and is made up of volunteer groups and stadium staff that will walk the aisles collecting plastics and aluminum from fans during the “Green Stretch.” An accompanying public address announcement will encourage fans to use one of the more than 150 recycle bins located around Kauffman Stadium.
  • New York Mets: Inviting children from the community to Citi Field on April 28 for an education day to learn about Earth Day and ways they can be more environmentally friendly every day.
  • Philadelphia Phillies: Members of the Phillies front office, players’ wives and ballgirls will assist with a maintenance project at FDR Park in South Philadelphia in partnership with the Fairmount Park Commission on April 22. Fans also are invited to donate used cell phones inside the First Base Gate at Citizens Bank Park on April 17 and 18 to be donated to the Philadelphia Zoo’s “Return the Call of the Wild” program. Funds raised through the program go to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, a nonprofit organization working to conserve endangered primates in Vietnam, home of the douc langur monkey, one of the most-endangered primates in the world. To offset the carbon footprint created by the team’s utility power usage at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). 2010 is the third consecutive year that the Phillies have committed to purchasing 100 percent renewable energy for the calendar year.
  • Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates will begin Earth Day by hosting a litter pick up in the North Shore, the neighborhood of their ballpark. Renewable energy credits have been purchased to offset the afternoon game which will include a pre-game ceremony to honor local environmental leaders. Pirates hats will be given away to all fans, which have been made out of recycled plastic bottles. Finally, as part of the Pirates year-round “Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green” program, a “green team” will walk through the park during and after the game to collect recyclables left behind. 
  • St. Louis Cardinals: The team is hosting Green Week, April 26 through May 1, to raise awareness for sustainability efforts. These include reducing carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, reusing donated athletic equipment, and recycling plastic and aluminum beverage containers, electronic waste, and phone books. The week will conclude with Bike to Busch, an event focused on promoting environmentally-friendly methods of transportation, in an effort to minimize the carbon emissions created from transportation to and from games. In addition, the Cardinals will offset their energy consumption by purchasing renewable energy credits for the duration of the week.
  • San Diego Padres: The Padres will celebrate their green initiative later on in the season with Go Green Night when the Park at the Park will be turned into a green village with environmentally friendly exhibits and displays. Additionally, aluminum water bottles produced from recycled materials will be distributed to the first 25,000 fans attending the Sept. 4 game against the Colorado Rockies.
  • San Francisco Giants: Leading up to Earth Day, the Giants, PG&E and the California Academy of Sciences will launch a Green Classroom Challenge, engaging K-8th graders throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to make their classroom the “greenest” classroom in the Bay Area.  The winning class will be honored in a home plate ceremony on the field. On Sunday, April 25, the Giants will distribute information cards and have videos highlighting environmental messages by their players. The first 20,000 fans will receive a reusable bag. The Giants players plan to wear a patch on their jerseys of the Giants “green” logo which represents the sustainable efforts throughout AT&T Park. 
  • Seattle Mariners: Earth Day will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 21. The Mariners are partnering with Cedar Grove Compost for their Second Annual Zero Waste Game. All food service items used at Safeco Field this season including cups, plates, utensils, are compostable. Combined with a comprehensive recycling program and composting all food waste from restaurants and concession stands, the Mariners will significantly reduce the amount of garbage going into the waste stream after each game. In addition, the Mariners are purchasing renewable energy credits to offset carbon emissions from staging the game.
  • Texas Rangers: The Rangers will give the first 15,000 fans, 14 and older a reusable shopping bag on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9. New for 2010, Customer Service Supervisors will be wearing shirts made out of recycled materials.
  • Washington Nationals: On Thursday, April 22, the Earth Day Network will be on hand to talk to fans about the impact they have on the environment and distribute information on lessening carbon footprints. In addition, the Nationals will offer two special Earth Day ticket promotions for the game: Fans who present their metro farecard or SmarTrip card at the Nationals Park box offices will receive $3 off any ticket priced at $10 or more, while those who bring a recyclable item will receive a ticket voucher (printed on recyclable paper) for half price discounts on select tickets for any Monday–Thursday home game in May or June.

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