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Green Lessons From Super Bowl XLV
The National Football League has been investing in environmental programs for 17 years, and there's a reason for that according to Jack Groh, director of the NFL Environmental Program. "We're just part of the operation, not public relations," he says. "At the NFL, it's always been more 'walk the walk' than 'talk the talk.' We want to maximize the environmental friendliness and not worry so much about having a 'green image.'"
For the Super Bowl each year, the NFL works directly with the host city to prepare projects designed to address the immediate environmental impacts of the big game.
The footprint of an event that size can be devastating. "Any large event has a few measurable impacts," Groh says. "Solid waste is obviously huge, so is transportation and emissions related to energy use. Water usage and a few other things are important, but those are the big three."
That's why many of the projects that the NFL undertakes during the Super Bowl relate to solid waste, transportation and greenhouse gas emissions.
Solid Waste Management and Recycling
Groh doesn't have quantitative figures on recycling, but he does say that between 20 percent and 30 percent of the waste stream from the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami was diverted from landfills.
Groh remains seemingly downhearted that he didn't have figures on the NFL recycling efforts. "Don't ever let the perfect become an enemy of the good. If you push the envelope and do the maximum that's possible, then you're doing fine - even if you can't quantify it," he says.
Prepared Food Recovery
The NFL expects to recover thousands of pounds of prepared food from both sanctioned and non-sanctioned Super Bowl events. The food, along with any canned or packaged items, will then be donated to the North Texas Food Bank and the Tarrant Area Food Bank where it will be distributed to shelters, community kitchens and churches throughout the area.
"It's so great that the NFL thought enough of the communities that they come into to also support the systems that are in place," he says.
Materials Donation
Groh says the NFL has been reusing and repurposing items from the Super Bowl for almost 14 years. Leftover materials like decorations. office supplies and equipment used during Super Bowl XLV will be collected by the Salvation Army and distributed to local nonprofits in the North Texas area.
"Last year we came up with the best solution we've ever had," Groh says. "We had six miles of fabric used as fence covering that we sent to New Orleans where they repurposed it into shower curtains, messenger bags and other things, and a portion of the proceeds went to fund youth programs in the community."
"It's about trying to find the highest potential use, the most beneficial use for the material," Groh says.
Climate Change Initiatives
Super Bowl XLV will play host to a variety of climate change initiatives, including renewable energy.
Groh says there are two main ways to "green" energy at big events. One is to directly source renewable energy from a facility, but this is less common. "It's more common to go to the same facility and purchase credits, which means money is invested in creating new renewable energy," Groh says.
He also stresses that whichever method is implemented, the net positive effect is the same. Virtually all major events and facilities during Super Bowl XLV will be part of this renewable energy credit system.
Another thrust of the climate change initiative involves planting trees, which offset carbon pollution. Just 30 trees can absorb the CO2 generated by the average person. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Services and the Texas Forest Service, the NFL will help plant thousands of trees throughout North Texas.
Brand new this year, biofuels will also be used as part of the climate change initiatives. These clean-burning biodegradable, and nontoxic fuels will be used for transportation, including several hundred buses and field generators wherever possible.
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