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Going Green: How Baseball Goes Green

aanderson
Explorer A
green Do you LUV baseball?  How about going GREEN?  These two go hand-in-hand in today’s Green Tuesday.  It’s the perfect time to celebrate since yesterday was the official Opening Day for Major League Baseball, and today is the Texas Rangers’ opening game versus my home team, the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2006, MLB became the first sports league to partner with the Natural Resources Defense Council and subsequently formed the "Commissioner's Initiative on Sustainable Stadium Operations and Team Practices."  Now it is simply known as the MLB Greening Program. With initiatives like harnessing wind; installing solar arrays; carbon offsets; hydropower; recycling and composting; paperless ticketing; conservation awareness; sustainable food practices; and much more, MLB is going Green at the ballpark. green2 Since I am here in Dallas for my internship, I used the Rangers and their stadium, Globe Life Park, to show examples of how baseball is swinging into action by being GREEN this summer:
  • The Rangers are covering all their GREEN bases when it comes to their green initiatives.  A day at the Ballpark is full of fun and homeruns, which results in a lot of leftover waste.  That’s why plastic, food containers, and other packing supplies are recycled after each game.  In addition to recycling those products, cooking and motor oils also are recycled.
  • We LUV the environment, and so do the Rangers.  They use the grass clippings from the field as mulch, as well as leftover tree trimmings and broken pallets, particularly for landscaping.
  • If you’re planning on attending baseball games this summer, there are some great ways for you to cheer on your team and go GREEN.  Make sure to recycle your drink containers!  Like Globe Life Park, many ballparks have conveniently placed recycle bins to deposit aluminum cans and plastic bottles.  Also, be conscious of the waste around you; be sure to pick your trash and maybe an extra piece that was left behind.  You’ll be a helping hand for post-game cleaning!
Enjoy the baseball season, and let us know how you Go Green at the game by commenting below!  Have a Green tip?  E-mail us at Green@wnco.com.
2 Comments
terry_ryan
Explorer C
I think it is great that an organization as big as Major League Baseball is taking a step to make their operations greener. I believe we need all of our major sports leagues to adopt similar policies and reduce their impact on the environment. It helps raise awareness of climate change to have major organizations take steps to go green and I commend the MLB for at least doing something different.
UhOh
Explorer C

On the Southwest Airlines site, where are links to buy carbon offsets?  I'm amazed this seems to be really nowhere at all on southwest.com.