Dive Brief:
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave the Miami Marlins, a pro baseball team in Miami, FL, a Green Glove Award for attaining a high recycling rate.
- The Marlins achieved a 54.4% recycling rate, one of the highest in the league.
- Plastic, metal, paper, cardboard and glass are collected during games and recycled through a recycling plan implemented by the sports team. When the stadium was built, sustainable aerials were used, and during the construction of the Miami Park District, 95% of debris was diverted and recycled instead of landfilled.
Dive Insight:
The Marlins are members of the Florida Recycling Partnership, a group of businesses and organizations working to raise recycling rates across the state.
During demolition, the Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN was able to divert 80% of the debris from reaching a landfill. The stadium was demolished in the spring to make way for a new facility. 80,000 tons of concrete were crushed and recycled, while 25 tons of precious metals were recovered form the site. Minneapolis is working toward becoming a Zero Waste City, and it looks like Florida may be up for the challenge if the Marlins have anything to do with it.