MLB strikes out pollution with its Team Greening Program

Steph Helmig - Contributing Writer
Posted on Friday 5th June 2009

Beyond team rivalries and player hitting streaks, as baseball fans, we cannot help but notice more Major League Baseball teams and ballparks taking the initiative to go green.

Before the start of the 2008 season, Major League Baseball partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council to create the Team Greening Program which supports every club adopts eco-friendly practices. These new procedures will benefit the environment greatly, affecting energy and water use at ballparks, products sold at concession stands, recycling customs and modes of transportation. Teams who have started their own Go Green clubs include the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, and Washington Nationals.

Commissioner of Baseball, Allan H. (Bud) Selig, stated "Baseball is a social institution with social responsibilities and caring for the environment is inextricably linked to all aspects of the game. Sound environmental practices make sense in every way and protect our natural resources for future generations of baseball fans."

More locally, the Phillies became the first MLB team to Go Green, when Mayor Michael Nutter and Governor Ed Rendell assisted Major League Baseball, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green-e Energy and WindStreet Energy in April 2008.

Immediately, the team purchased more than 20 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy, the equivalent of planting 100,000 trees. Citizens Bank Park also joined forces with Global Spectrum and ARAMARK to apply forty 80-gallon recyclable containers, new food related customs (reusable frying oil, biodegradable serviceware and cups, locally and organically grown foods, etc.), building related customs (eco-friendly cleaning products, energy conservation, reusing rain runoff, etc.), and give a one year credit using their "Red Goes Green Cards" to all employees, players, and coaches for renewable energy in their homes. While the fans are such a big part of this organization, awareness of this movement has been promoted towards them as well with the use of giveaways, tips and the Red Goes Green Volunteer Team.

As if you needed another reason to get your friends together and go see a game, you can now support your love for the game, support the team, and support the planet.

More about the Team Greening Program

Top 5 Green Sport Stadiums

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