4 A Greener Game
The Cardinals began the "4 A Greener Game" program at Busch Stadium during the 2008 season as a two month pilot program. After tremendous success, the program averages over 25 volunteers per game with numbers increasing year after year.
Since its inception, the program has diverted over 9,270 tons of waste from the stadium trash disposal and local landfills. The program's success can be partially credited to 550 conveniently placed recycling bins around the stadium, making it easy for fans to recycle when they come to a baseball game. Success is also due in large part to volunteers who collect recyclables during games, and the maintenance staff who separate additional recyclables from the trash after a game.
The St. Louis Cardinals are committed to promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability. Our goal is to put a winning team on the field and create a safe, fun, family friendly environment and entertainment experience for our guests while minimizing the impact on the natural environment. Specifically, the Cardinals will:
- Strive to minimize pollution and waste through programs designed to reduce and recycle the consumable materials we use throughout our operations.
- Conserve energy and water, support renewable energy resources, and encourage environmentally sound transportation options for employees and fans.
- Identify and purchase environmentally friendly products and services for all stadium and team operations.
Please e-mail [email protected] with any questions.
Help to make a difference!
The in-game volunteer Green Team is back for the 2024 season. The St. Louis Cardinals would like to invite you to be an important part of the excitement!
Once again, we are looking for friendly volunteers from local colleges, community organizations, church groups – even friends and families – to join our Green Team initiative and help collect recyclables from fans throughout each game at Busch Stadium.
The Green Team is a group of volunteers who walk down the aisles of the seating bowl in-between innings collecting recyclables from fans and promoting recycling at Busch Stadium. Volunteers are asked to arrive an hour prior to game time for a brief training session. Recycling collection begins in the 2nd inning, continues throughout the game and ends 15 minutes following the conclusion of the game.
In exchange for your services, you're able to watch the game in standing room only sections of Busch Stadium, as collections are only done in-between innings and during pitching changes so as not to disturb fans trying to watch the game.
- Is there an age limit to participate? No, there is no age limit to participate. However, children 15 and under need to be accompanied by adult chaperones. All volunteers will be required to sign a waiver form. Minors (17 and under) will need a parent or guardian to fill out their waiver form for them.
- How many volunteers are needed for each game? A maximum of 40 volunteers are needed for each game.
- Can I volunteer for more than one game? Yes. We encourage you to volunteer for multiple games.
- Can I sign up individually or do I need to sign up with a group? We welcome both individual volunteers and groups of volunteers.
- Is parking provided? Parking is not provided. However, we do encourage volunteers to take public transportation or car pool to minimize the impact on the environment.
- Do I need a ticket? No, you do not need a ticket, but all volunteers must be pre-registered with [email protected]. On the date you are scheduled, report to the Employee Entrance at 320 S. 8th Street to check in. It is located just north of Gate 3 and the Stan Musial Statue.
- Do I need to bring anything? No, all supplies are provided (gloves, bags, and a vest identifying you as a Green Team volunteer) for you.
- Will volunteering count towards my community service hours? Yes, we can provide a letter verifying your community service hours upon request.
Accomplishments
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2019 Food Recovery Challenge Regional Award
As part of EPA's Food Recovery Challenge, organizations pledge to improve their sustainable food management practices and report their results. The St. Louis Cardinals have a proven track record of promoting sustainability and making a positive impact on their community. Since 2010, they have worked with concessionaire Delaware North and Operation Food Search to keep almost 44 tons of unused food from going to the landfill. Annual food donations doubled in 2018 from 4 tons to almost 10 tons, and composting increased from 157 tons to almost 216 tons. Efforts in 2018 to reduce food waste as part of the Food Recovery Challenge resulted in the ability to provide an estimated 13,000 meals in conjunction with Operation Food Search.
The Partnership for Downtown St. Louis and the Downtown Community Improvement District- Sustainability Award
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the St. Louis Cardinals, in partnership with The Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, Waste Management and WITS, hosted an e-cycling drive collecting unwanted electronics in the Ballpark Village Lot. During the St. Louis Cardinals 1st annual two-day event, more than 1,500 people dropped off their unwanted electronics, filling 14 tractor trailers and diverting 158 tons of electronics from the landfill.
St. Louis Green Business Challenge
The St. Louis Cardinals are Champion Level participants of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge and have participated since its inception. The challenge encourages companies to adopt sustainable practices by forming Green Teams, conserving energy and water, reducing waste, improving indoor environmental quality, and providing clean transportation options. The St. Louis Cardinals documented data to help sustain, share and promote the efforts made through the St. Louis Green Business Challenge. The key goal was to foster broad-based understanding of sustainability principles, so that participant activity will generate a culture of sustainable values and practices throughout the community.
St. Louis Science Center- Eco Expo Honorable Mention
The goal was to educate visitors about the many ways they can live, work, and play in a way that's environmentally friendly, sustainable, and green.
Missouri Waste Coalition- Environmental Stewardship Award
Projects that qualify for achievement in environmental stewardship will demonstrate exceptional improvement, protection, and/or restoration of areas such watersheds, wild life or endangered species habitat, soil, water, or wastewater management practices, reduced pollutant emissions or consumption of natural resources with methods that are both environmentally and economically sustainable and shows documented results both before and after implementation.
WasteWise-Partner
WasteWise is a free, voluntary EPA program through which organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefiting their bottom line and the environment. WasteWise helps its partners meet goals to reduce and recycle municipal solid waste and selected industrial wastes. The St. Louis Cardinals were given the award for demonstrating commitment to waste reduction.
The Bridge
Certificate of Appreciation- This certificate was received in recognition of the St. Louis Cardinals valuable contribution to reclaiming and providing food for The Bridge.
earthday365
In 2023, the Cardinals were a finalist for the earthday365 Circularity in Business Award. The Award recognizes commitment to reducing waste and promoting a circular economy.
- Implemented composting and glass recycling programs
- Established regular donations of food to Operation Food Search to feed St. Louis's less fortunate.
- Major League Baseball Benchmarking - This is a program to further formalize, enhance, and make more efficient the greening initiatives implemented across Major League Baseball.
- Hired an energy consultant
- Ameren Missouri Business Energy Efficiency Retro-commissioning project
- Hosted Annual Green Week Events focused on many programs that the St. Louis Cardinals have in place to operate Busch Stadium in an environmentally responsible manner
- LED Lights - The St. Louis Cardinals have partnered with PLANLEDTM to install a new, state-of-the-art lighting system in Busch Stadium. The new lights will improve the visual experience for players and guests as well as reducing operating and energy costs. The system will have the highest, true-to-life color rendering in an outdoor sports venue.
- In 2023, Ball Aluminum Cups were added to concession stands where draft beer is sold. The aluminum cups replaced the 20 oz. plastic cups.
Objectives
The St. Louis Cardinals focus on four pillars of Sustainability: Energy, Water, Solid Waste Management and Communication/Education. These are the objectives for the upcoming season:
- Diversion Rate Goal - 40%
- Composting Goal - 9 tons
- Reduce Energy Consumption
- Complete Local and State Sustainability Challenges
- Encourage Fans to Follow the Three R's - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Green Path
Delaware North Companies - Green Path
As one of the most admired, privately held companies in the world, Delaware North Companies is fortunate to do business in many of the world's most high-profile and treasured places. The company is committed to responsible stewardship of the resources in all these locales, and thus we developed GreenPath®, an environmental management system, to guide us in our pursuit of environmental excellence.
Delaware North fully acknowledges it is essential that all company operations and activities be conducted in strict accordance with sound environmental health and safety practices. Therefore, all company operations will be managed in compliance with all laws and regulations related to environmental responsibility and human health and safety applicable to our business activities. Delaware North is committed to preventing pollution in the areas where we do business, and to continually improving the company's environmental performance. To achieve these goals, Delaware North will adopt best available practices in environmental matters. Specifically, Delaware North will:
- Incorporate environmental considerations into business decisions, including planning and design activities;
- Review activities, products and services to limit the nature and scale of our environmental impact;
- Set measurable objectives and targets to improve environmental performance;
- Reduce the generation and disposal of waste;
- Anticipate emerging environmental issues and develop programs to respond to future challenges;
- Allocate and maintain resources for the effective implementation of environmental management and compliance programs;
- Encourage communication among associates, clients, customers, visitors, neighbors, surrounding communities, business associates, regulatory agencies, and the general public regarding Delaware North Companies' environmental issues; and
- Strive to make a positive environmental contribution to the communities where Delaware North Companies operates.
- For more information, click here.
Solar Power
The Cardinals partnered with Microgrid Energy, the Electrical Connection, and Sachs Electric, to bring solar energy to Busch Stadium. Fans attending the games will enjoy food, beverage and retail shops powered by 106 solar panels, producing approximately 32,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy per year.
The two solar arrays are located on the roof of the ticket building on Clark Street and atop a canopy in the left centerfield bleachers at the Ford Family Plaza. To raise awareness of solar energy, an educational kiosk providing information about the project and solar energy in general is being installed in Ford Family Plaza.
The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).
The solar panels - manufactured by Schott Solar in the U.S. - produce electricity that feeds into the stadium's electrical distribution system and mixes with the power from the grid for use throughout the stadium. There are no batteries and all the energy produced is used in the stadium. The solar energy will offset the grid power used by stadium operations, reducing electrical bills. Although the offset is a relatively small percentage of the stadium's power use, it will result in a large amount of savings over the life of the system.
