Major League Baseball has long honored Target Field in Minnesota for being the "greenest" baseball stadium. Chicago’s Cellular field has had a recycling program for years. So why is it news that Wrigley field is finally recycling?
Well for starters, the millions of fans that Wrigley Stadium attracts bring with them tons and tons of trash.
"We go through a lot of plastic. There is a lot of beer and Pepsi that flows through this ballpark," said Wally Hayward, Executive Vice President Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for the Chicago Cubs.
Until just this year, recycling was non-existent in this ballpark that was built almost a century ago.
"We have green grass, green ivy, but we want sustainability," Hayward said.
The stadium has partnered with Solo Cup, Allied Waste and Levy Restaurants to score big numbers on and off the field. One hundred and fifty new blue recycling stations have been introduced, according to Hayward.
Kim Frankovich is the VP of Sustainability at Solo Cup. She has been working hard to make sure that this stadium filled with so much history is also doing its part for sustainability. Now, she needs the fans to do their part the next time they are enjoying a game.
"It is called Real Fans Recycle," said Frankovich. Twenty percent of the cup is made from recycled water and soda bottles.
There are now twenty-five green recycling bins that have already spared more than 15 tons of waste from heading into a landfill. Hayward says that the 15 tons was the result of just 2 months with the new program. They hope to collect 165 thousand pounds by the end of the season.
So, the next time that you are at the game, have a good time, root for the cubbies, and put your cup where it belongs.
