UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s successful efforts to reduce waste going into a landfill after football games at Beaver Stadium are spotlighted in a case study in the Green Sports Alliance’s just-published “Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook.” 

The purpose of the playbook, according to the alliance, is to provide an overview of the role certified compostable food service ware plays in combating climate change via the diversion of organic waste from landfills to composting facilities. The Green Sports Alliance is an environmentally focused trade organization that convenes sports teams, leagues, conferences, venues, corporate partners, governmental agencies, athletes and fans around the world to promote healthy, sustainable communities 

“By switching from petrochemical-based plastics and materials to biobased, compostable food service ware and composting programs, Green Sports Alliance members can lower their carbon footprints by preventing single-use plastic and organic waste from accumulating in landfills,” the playbook points out. 

Additionally, according to the alliance, the soil produced by composting facilities from food waste and compostable food packaging requires less fertilizer than standard untreated soil, has more micronutrients (which increases crop yield), retains more water, filters water runoff better and sequesters carbon — thus contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation.    

Penn State’s Beaver Stadium was used as a case study because of the high landfill diversion rate in its third-floor suites, showcasing zero-waste efforts, the playbook noted. The industry definition of zero-waste doesn’t mean that no waste is produced, but that the amount of waste diverted (recycled or composted) is 90% or higher. 

“Penn State Athletics’ events had a very large environmental footprint with fans attending events approximately 1 million times per year,” the playbook stated. “To reduce waste and save money, the university targeted zero waste in their venues while creating a showcase to highlight sustainability efforts to key stakeholders.” 

Judd Michael, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, who spearheaded the initial efforts at Penn State, said the University’s strategic objectives in this sustainability effort were as follows: Achieve zero waste in the suite sections of Beaver Stadium while maintaining a premium fan experience; learn from the experiences in the suites to expand the initiative to all of Beaver Stadium and other on-campus athletic venues; make the suites’ zero-waste initiative a showcase for donors and government officials; and use the zero-waste initiative to educate students about sustainability and conduct academic research. 

In line with these goals, Michael said Beaver Stadium's third-floor suites — comprised of the Nittany Lion Club and the President's and Government Relations' boxes —  switched to certified compostable food service ware, including cups and cutlery consisting of bioplastics made by Ingeo, conducted waste audits after home games beginning in 2013, and used student sustainability ambassadors — known as EcoReps — to educate and engage fans to help achieve zero-waste goals.    

Efforts to achieve zero waste in the third-floor suites relied on collaborative efforts between the Office of the President, Bryce Jordan Center Catering Services, Intercollegiate Athletics, the Office of Physical Plant, and the Sustainability Institute.     

“It’s important that Penn State maintains its position as a leader and role model for other higher education institutions seeking to achieve sustainability goals ranging from landfill diversion to reduced carbon emissions,” said Michael. “Sports provides an excellent platform to demonstrate that leadership, and we are honored that the Green Sports Alliance has recognized our efforts.”