MLB, clubs to support sustainability efforts

By | May 9, 2019

Major League Baseball and its 30 Clubs are supporting sustainability efforts throughout 2019, including ‘GREEN TEAMS’ and environmentally-focused activations during MLB All-Star Week in Cleveland & the World Series in October, MLB-led partnerships with key groups that specialize in this area and significant efforts led by MLB Clubs in their communities and at ballparks.

‘GREEN TEAMS’ & Sustainable Activations During 2019 All-Star Week

Major League Baseball will continue to support sustainable efforts in connection with the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland, Ohio, this coming July. During All-Star Week (Thursday, July 4th-Tuesday, July 9th), MLB will partner with local universities to activate ‘GREEN TEAMS,’ a group of students that encourages environmental awareness during MLB All-Star events, including all ballpark events (e.g., MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, T-Mobile Home Run Derby and the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game). ‘GREEN TEAM’ efforts include educational aspects surrounding sustainability for the students, collecting recyclables at ballpark and community events, and raising awareness among fans on positive environmental practices. ‘GREEN TEAM’ members will also participate in a special All-Star environmental volunteer event. A version of the ‘GREEN TEAM’ will be implemented throughout the 2019 World Series in October. In 2018, the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard in Washington, D.C. became the first U.S. professional league event to be certified as environmentally responsible by the Council of Responsible Sport. MLB expects to once again accomplish the feat with the 2019 Midsummer Classic.

MLB will also seek to offset the environmental footprint of player travel to and from Cleveland, as well the energy and water used at Progressive Field, by purchasing renewable energy credits and water restoration credits in conjunction with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the “Change the Course” program.

Special Educational Partnerships

Discovery Education: MLB has recently partnered with Discovery Education, the leading providers of standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms, to launch baseball and sustainability-focused content in schools throughout the United States. The official program, which will debut in May, will feature educational video vignettes in which representatives from several Clubs will discuss how their ballparks are environmentally conscious while highlighting effective sustainability practices. These videos will be featured in classrooms across the United States through the Discovery Education platform.

FOX SPORTS University: In an ongoing partnership with FOX Sports University, MLB and FOX has collaborated with the University of Pittsburgh and Syracuse University to provide educational opportunities around sustainability and public relations. Student groups with the best presentations around sustainability and environmental awareness will be MLB guests during 2019 MLB All-Star Week in Cleveland to contribute to sustainability efforts, including being a part of the All-Star GREEN TEAM.

MLB Front Office Volunteer Events

In advance of Earth Day, front office employees at MLB and MLB Network and family members volunteered at Claremont Park in the Bronx, N.Y. on Saturday, April 13th. Additionally, the MLB office in Boulder, Colo., also held a volunteer event for its employees at Boulder High School on Wednesday, April 24th, joined by the high school baseball team. Through both efforts, volunteers are tasked with revitalization activities, including landscaping, general cleanup, painting, and more. Scotts, the official lawn care company of Major League Baseball, donated product to support the efforts.

Club Initiatives

Major League Baseball was the first U.S. professional sports league to have all of Clubs as members of the Green Sports Alliance, which promotes healthy, sustainable communities in sports. In fact, MLB Clubs diverted more than 20,000 tons of recycled or composted waste during the 2018 season. Additionally, each year, MLB awards the eco-friendliest club with its ‘Green Glove Award,’ with the San Francisco Giants taking the award in 2018.

The following are some of the areas in which MLB Clubs devoted its sustainability practices throughout their ballparks and within their communities:

“Thanks to the support and year-round commitment by our Clubs, Baseball is a sustainability leader in the U.S. professional sports industry,” said Paul Hanlon, Senior Director of Ballpark Operations & Sustainability, Major League Baseball. “Environmental responsibility is not only a business imperative for our sport, it is also passion for those who operate our ballparks. We look forward to further demonstrating our league-wide commitment in this space to our fans for years to come.”

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