Facility managers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey – the home of this weekend’s NFL Super Bowl XLVIII – are making sure the catering and associated activities are the greenest possible.
The stadium and its foodservice partner Delaware North Companies Sportservice have earned the title of first Certified Green Restaurant stadium from the US Green Restaurant Association (GRA), exceeding its certification standards.
So while the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos battle it out on the field, the 200-plus on-site restaurants serving up to 100,000 patrons will be:
- Converting all waste kitchen oil to biodiesel fuel
- Composting all kitchen scraps
- Donating all leftover food
- Recycling cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper
- Using ENERGY STAR equipment
- Not using any polystyrene foam containers
The stadium’s green credentials extend beyond the restaurants and kiosks – the toilets feature waterless urinals, touchless sensor taps, 2-litre tap aerators, and the landscaping is designed for low water use.
In all, there are 61 different environmental measures in place, which can be seen on the Dine Green website.
MetLife Stadium vice-president of facilities Dave Duernberger says he expects about seven or eight tons to be generated during the American football game. This willall go into a giant compactor and then be trucked to a local facility for processing. The end product, he says, will be used for landscaping.
Another innovation is the use of biodiesel fuel processed from waste cooking oil. According to NFL Environmental Program director Jack Groh, a biodiesel mix will be used in generators that will power Super Bowl Boulevard, a 13-block party featuring entertainment and a giant toboggan slide, as well as generators that are augmenting the power supply on the MetLife Stadium grounds.
The head of Public Service Electric & Gas, the utility that provides power to the complex, has estimated that it will take about 18 megawatts of electricity to power the entire complex for the game, or what would be needed to power 12,000 homes. Of that, as much as six megawatts could be provided by the generators.
And, as a final touch, after the game, the league will donate several miles of fabric signage to nonprofits or other groups for repurposing. After last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, local designers used the fabric to make purses, dresses, shower curtains, beanbag chairs, tote bags and wallets.
“This achievement sets the environmental bar for stadiums and sporting events the world over,” says Michael Oshman, CEO and Founder of the Green Restaurant Association.
Groh adds: “I know it took a real team effort – lots of work and lots of cooperation – to get this done in time for Super Bowl XLVIII. Being a Certified Green Restaurant Stadium tells the fans that this stadium and its food service partners are committed to doing things in a way that is efficient and sustainable.”
