MLB sustainability efforts to extend beyond Earth Day

By | April 20, 2021

Major League Baseball will celebrate ‘Earth Day’ (Thursday, April 22nd) with a variety of league-wide sustainability initiatives to be implemented throughout the season. Efforts include significant Club initiatives, Green Glove Award recognition, minimizing E-Waste at the Commissioner’s Office, activations during MLB All-Star Week in Colorado, key partnerships with industry leaders and more.

By the Numbers: Greening at MLB

NOTE: For a more detailed list of Club activations, please visit MLB.com/Green.

San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners Win 2020 Green Glove Award – The San Francisco Giants and the Seattle Mariners were named co-recipients of the 2020 Green Glove Award, recognizing both Clubs for achieving a 98% diversion rate during the 2020 regular season. Clubs dispose of waste through processes like recycling, composting and food donations. The 2020 finalists included:

All-Star Week in Colorado – Similar to previous years, MLB will continue to highlight sustainability efforts during the 2021 Midsummer Classic through the activation of Green Teams, volunteer events, water filtration systems in broadcast, media and staff areas to reduce single use plastics, offsetting water and energy used at ballpark events, food donation programs, promoting walking and public transportation to Coors Field and more. MLB will also support the Colorado Rockies’ current sustainability initiatives.

Combating E-Waste at the Commissioner’s Office – Since 2014, the Commissioner’s Office has committed to safely dispose of E-Waste, with efforts totaling 179,000+ pounds of technology and 9,750+ assets recycled, including 4,500+ hard drives destroyed.

MLB Network – MLB Network has produced a special video highlighting MLB’s Earth Day initiatives, which will be played across MLB’s digital platforms. MLB Network will also light up the broadcast desk in Studio 3 with the color green throughout Thursday.

PARTNERSHIPS

MLB Joins Mastercard Priceless Planet Coalition – MLB is a proud member of the Priceless Planet Coalition, created by Mastercard to unite businesses and consumers in climate action to plant 100 million trees by 2025. Guided by expert partners in climate science and forest restoration, the Coalition employs science-based best practices for the selection, implementation, and long-term monitoring of the reforestation efforts. MLB is also supporting the Coalition’s social media campaign to encourage consumers to dedicate a tree to a friend in celebration of Earth Day.

Baseball to Support Green Sports Alliance’s PLAY – MLB will be a founding partner in Green Sports Alliance’s PLAY initiative, which will guide global venues, teams, leagues, and conferences to benchmark environmental performance across events, priority metrics, map improvement pathways through individual and aggregate gap analysis reports, and power organizational journeys to “net-zero” through a series of sponsorable fan engagements and public celebrations.

51 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day with Discovery & Nelson Cruz – For the second year, Discovery will feature MLB in its “51 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day” effort geared towards teachers, students, and parents. The initiative will include a live twitter chat with humanitarian and Minnesota Twins Designated Hitter Nelson Cruz, as well as educational videos for students to learn about MLB’s sustainability practices.

Players for the Planet Educational Virtual Sessions – In partnership with MLB, Players for the Planet will raise awareness on environmental issues in the Dominican Summer League with a series of virtual sessions leading up and beyond Earth Day. Players for the Planet, founded by former MLB outfielder Chris Dickerson, works to connect professional athletes, sports teams, and organizations with actionable opportunities to serve and protect the environment.

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