ST. LOUIS – Thousands of fans flocked to CityPark Sunday to watch St. Louis City SC take home their first win in over a month. But there was a lot more going on at the park than just the game.
The theme of Sunday’s game was sustainability. While fans witnessed a win on the field, underneath the stadium, a different kind of game was just getting underway as a handful of workers sorted through thousands of pounds of trash.
The organization has a net-zero goal, meaning sending no waste to the landfill. They said they’re doing everything it can to reach that goal. It’s why you will only see recyclable drinking cups and compostable food items.
“What we do down here is sort every piece of trash that is generated during a match,” Vice President of Stadium Operations Joe Abernathy said. “If you control what comes into the house, then it’s easier to make sure everything is recyclable or compostable.”
The organization wants fans to know it’s doing everything it can to be a positive force in the community it serves.
“It means we send essentially nothing here to landfill,” ABM Project Manager Jennifer Schwab said. “I really want them to see how much we care about the environment, and this team cares about the environment.”
Protecting the environment of the city they call home is something that’s not lost on City fans. Tim McVey said he often brings the aluminum cans home with him for re-use.
“Not seeing all that plastic go to the waste, it’s nice. everyone should try to be more sustainable,” McVey said.
Here are some more statistics provided by St. Louis City SC:
Anheuser-Busch employee volunteers are part of a Green Team that helps CITYPARK guests recycle and compost during matches as part of their National Recycling League initiative
In 2023, CITY generated thousands of pounds of compost and avoided purchasing over 645,000 plastic cups and bottles
For the 4/6 match, CITY collected nearly one ton (2000 lbs) of aluminum cups, bottles and cans
For the 4/14 match, CITY purchased renewable energy and water conservation offsets to further reduce our impact on the environment
