In addition to the annual Play to Zero Awards honoring excellence across leagues, teams and venues, the Green Sports Alliance will celebrate winners of new, more specific categories recognizing investments in renewable energy and water replenishment, as well as improvements in energy efficiency and water efficiency upgrades.
Major League Clubs emphasize and practice sustainability through waste diversion, composting, sustainable purchase, water conservation and energy efficient practices throughout the year. Efforts include comprehensive on-site gardens, Green Teams to collect recyclables, LED field lighting and solar panel installations.
All of Major League Baseball is committed to practicing responsible and socially-conscious sustainability efforts. Key initiatives include Green Team activations, front office volunteer efforts, food donations to local charities and substantive programs operated by MLB Clubs. MLB is the first professional sports league to proudly confirm all of its Clubs as members of the Green Sports Alliance, which promotes healthy, sustainable communities in sports.
The H2O Home Run Award recognizes the ballpark that has achieved the highest reduction in water consumption from the previous year through initiatives such as the implementation of high-efficiency irrigation, water-saving technologies and optimized facility operations.
The Power Pitch Award recognizes the ballpark that has achieved the highest reduction in energy usage from the previous year through initiatives such as the implementation of better building system management, optimized facility upgrades and smarter daily energy habits.
The Green Glove Award recognizes the Club with the highest overall waste diversion rate. It considers daily operational waste streams, such as recycling and composting, in addition to unique waste streams, such as e-waste and bulk item donations.
The Eco-Slugger Innovation Award is awarded to a Club that demonstrated leadership through the implementation of an effective and original sustainability initiative during the award cycle. This category is open to any new practice or initiative -- ranging from renewable energy and waste reduction to unique eco-friendly operations -- that successfully reduced the environmental impact of baseball events.
The Diamond Diversion Award recognizes the Club that shows the greatest year-over-year improvement in waste diversion. To ensure a direct comparison, this award tracks a set list of standardized day-to-day operational waste streams, such as recycling and composting.
