The matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots in this year’s Super Bowl represented the endless struggle between young and old, spryness and experience, tradition and innovation. Tom Brady has competed in twice the amount of Super Bowls as seasoned Russell Wilson has played — six to three. Bill Belichick has been a coach with the Pats for a whopping 15 years and his style could not be more consistent and old school. Pete Carroll, while hardly new to the football coaching scene, is in his fourth year with the Seahawks and his bold fourth down fake field goal call in the NFC Championship game — which resulted in a touchdown — is indicative of the youthful guts Carroll brings to the Seahawk sideline.
These two franchises could not be more different. You could say that one represents the ‘old’ NFL while the other represents the new age. One is anchored in offense; the other in defense. One represents the northeast; the other the northwest. However, among all of these differences, there exists a common value that not only is promising for the future of the NFL, but also can have significant benefits for society overall: both teams value sustainable sports practices.
Both of these teams demonstrate a commitment to sustainability in sports in big and bold ways. The Patriots’ Gillette Stadium, which also hosts the Major League Soccer New England Revolution, was completed in 2002 and has saved the franchise $1 million annually while saving 30% of the energy they were spending in the previous stadium. These upgrades included installing timed-lighting devices to cut down energy waste and using turf considered the best in the country that also lowers water and pesticide use. The onsite wastewater re-use system that was included in the construction saves the team $1 million every year as well, re-using 16 million gallons of water every year.
The Pats have also been dedicated to providing a sustainable environment during their games. Initiatives include handing out recycled bags in the parking lot both during tailgates and after the games are over. The venue has a solar-powered compactor that collects plastic bottles and cans around the stadium. Adjacent to the field is a park known as Patriots’ Place. Patriots’ Place has over 2,600 solar panels and will generate a predicted 12 million kilowatt hours of electricity over a 200year time span. The project was named the best renewable energy project in New England in 2010.
Meanwhile in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field is arguably the most environmentally-friendly stadium in the NFL. Much like their opponents, the stadium is also host to the Major League Soccer Seattle Sounders. Additionally, they focus on fan engagement initiatives as well. Much of the focus of their “Defend Your Turf” environmental campaign is centered around waste and food. Through various initiatives and practices, 94 percent of the waste generated both at the field and it’s neighbor the CenturyLink Event Center does not end up in a landfill. This is done largely by providing composting and recycling bins around the stadium (more than 614 recycle bins are in the stadium.) In 2012, the venue turned recycled oil into over 5 million gallons of biodiesel. The stadium has also introduced water sustainability components, including retrofitting the field with ultra-low-flow water fixtures. This has resulted in savings of more than 1.3 million gallons of water per year. Furthermore, 30 percent of the energy used by both the event center and stadium comes from the solar panels that sit atop the event center.
Both of these teams have done their part in lessening their environmental impact. In our research and evaluation work for Chicago sports teams, these teams provide good ideas and best practices for others to follow. Even though the Lombardi Trophy is headed to New England, both teams are winners in our book!
“SustainaBOWL 2015: Seahawks vs. Patriots, Who’s Greener?” Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://pprc.org/index.php/2015/blog/sustainabowl-2015-seahawks-vs-patriots-whos-greener/
“Sustainability Initiatives.” Environmentally Responsible. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://www.patriot-place.com/green-initiatives#.VNpkjZ3F-H5.
Casey, Tina. “Solar Canopy Gives Green Edge to New England Patriots.” CleanTechnica. May 5, 2012. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://cleantechnica.com/2012/05/05/nfl-patriot-park-solar-shade-canopy/.
“Gillette Stadium.” Gillette-Stadium. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://skanska-sustainability-case-studies.com/Gillette-Stadium.
Jones, Emmett. “NRG Tripling the Amount of Green Energy at Gillette Stadium.” NRG Tripling the Amount of Green Energy at Gillette Stadium. December 11, 2011. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://sportsbusinessdigest.com/2011/12/nrg-tripling-the-amount-of-green-energy-at-gillette-stadium/.
“Defend Your Turf – Be A Champion of Sustainabilit – CenturyLink Field.” Defend Your Turf – Be A Champion of Sustainabilit – CenturyLink Field. Accessed February 10, 2015.http://www.centurylinkfield.com/defend-your-turf/.
Watson, Tom. “Sports Stadiums Blossom into Sustainability Champs.” The Seattle Times. April 6, 2012. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://seattletimes.com/html/ecoconsumer/2017926878_ecoconsumer07m.html.
“Case Study CenturyLink Field, Home of the Seattle Seahawks and Sounders F.” NRDC. Accessed February 10, 2015. http://www.nrdc.org/greenbusiness/guides/sports/files/CenturyLink-Case-Study.pdf.