The Minnesota Twins and Eco-Products have partnered to reduce the waste generated at Target Field through a new effort to divert fans' trash from the landfill by turning it into fertile soil.
Eco-Products, which makes single-use foodservice products made from renewable and recycled resources, is supplying hundreds of thousands of compostable cups, plates, trays, utensils and straws at Target Field. Virtually all packaging used at Target Field will be either compostable or recyclable, the company says.
Much of the packaging used in the ballpark relies on a material called Ingeo™, a compostable resin made by a company called NatureWorks headquartered a short distance from Target Field in Minnetonka, MN.
While plastic bottles and aluminum will still be recycled, all other concessions-related products can be composted at Target Field, Eco-Products says. That includes beer cups, soft drink cups, coffee cups, plates, trays, spoons, knives, forks, lids and straws.
The effort is designed to simplify things for fans — all plates, utensils and trays can go into the same compostable bin, along with any leftover food.
The new partnership aims to help the Twins surpass the 73 percent waste diversion rate it achieved in 2014. A key part of the effort involves special bins around the stadium, making it easy for fans to toss out the compostable packaging and leftover food, according to Eco-Products.
The environmental initiative could also be good for concession sales. A national survey found one in five Americans would buy more beer, soft drinks and nachos at a stadium if they learned that all of the trash left behind was recycled or composted.
Communication to fans about where to put their items after use is a crucial to making an effort like this work, Eco-Products says. All of the compostable products at the ballpark have either been specially branded for Target Field, or feature Eco-Products artwork that shows consumers how these products are different.
The Twins aren’t the only team working to become more sustainable. Last year, the Arizona Diamondbackspartnered with the City of Phoenix, Republic Services and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick to host Arizona’s first zero-waste Spring Training event as part of an effort to bring awareness to recycling and composting. The one-day event challenged fans to recycle or compost the solid and food wastes they generate during the game instead of sending them to the landfill.
In other recent sustainable beer news, a new UK-based microbrewery calledBucks Star plans to use solar power to make its beer. The startup says the ingredients, the brewing process and the energy source to run its machinery are all focused on “freshness and sustainability.”