Sustainability and the Super Bowl: Keeping the City Green Together

Big events create big business but can also leave behind a big mess. The city of Los Angeles is already planning green solutions to the 2022 Super Bowl and starting new sustainability initiatives to keep L.A. clean and green for years to come. Be part of it all with the cities of Los Angeles and Inglewood, SoFi stadium, the NFL, and Blue L.A. Powered by Blink Mobility.

Los Angeles is proud to host the 2022 Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Big events like the Super Bowl bring notoriety and business to a city. Retail stores, restaurants, and hotels all have the opportunity to gain new customers, make money, and bring passionate football fans the very best of L.A. According to KDVR, Fox 31, the Super Bowl may have an economic impact in the community of $234 to $477 million, creating up to 4,700 new jobs, and bringing potentially 150,000 visitors to the city.

As exciting as it is to have the Super Bowl coming to town, major events often leave behind problems in their host cities—like environmental messes. All of L.A. is coming together, along with the NFL’s Green Legacy, to solve the problem.

The NFL Green Legacy

According to NFL Green, “the league’s environmental program works to mitigate the environmental impact of the NFL’s major events and create a “green” legacy in each community that hosts Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, and the NFL Draft.” The NFL works with “NFL sponsors, local host committees, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations” to accomplish their goals of leaving behind a green legacy in each city that hosts the Super Bowl. Curious what NFL officials do to improve environmental sustainability in host cities?

The NFL Green Legacy’s Sustainability Playbook Initiatives include:

Food Recovery. NFL Green makes sure that unsold food from the Super Bowl and sponsorship activities is donated to local food banks and non-profit organizations for the hungry. Super Bowl events have been known to collect 140,000 pounds in donatable food and beverages!

Community Greening. The NFL works with local parks and recreation organizations to plant trees for reforestation projects. They also create green spaces for children to play and community gardens with access to fresh produce.

According to the Los Angeles Sentinel, the NFL, the L.A. Rams, and local non-profit organizations hosted a beautification project this Saturday at Edward Vincent Park. Volunteers planted 56 trees at the park to honor Super Bowl LVI. The article went on to say, “Today’s event marked the passing of the Golden Shovel, the symbol of Super Bowl community greening, from the host community of Tampa Bay to the Los Angeles region, and the first in a series of Super Bowl LVI community greening projects,” said NFL Environmental Program director Jack Groh.”

Material Recovery. The Super Bowl leaves behind signs, decorations and more, some of which is fabric, carpeting, and building materials that are reusable. Officials make sure these materials end up in the hands of non-profit organizations, such as those that build housing for the homeless.

Super Kids- Super Sharing. This project aims to put school supplies, books, and sports equipment in the hands of low-income students in the community. The NFL works with local teams, schools, and non-profits to supply expensive, but necessary items to students in need.

Recycling and Sold Waste Management. The NFL works with companies such as Zero Waste and the local community to recycle and compost.

Super Bowl E-Waste Event. Minerals taken from unusable electronics are donated to the local zoo to help create and rebuild the habitats of animals which are often displaced in nature by mining for these minerals. The event is run and paid for by Verizon.

Green Energy. The Super Bowl uses green energy in the form of renewable energy certificates, or RECs, which officials purchase in the total amount of energy used. These certificates fund green energy initiatives all over the country and are a scientifically approved way to reduce greenhouse gases.

Recycled Water Initiative

Los Angeles’s Sustainability City Plan recognizes the need for reducing water usage and using recycled water. Los Angeles is the country’s second largest city, built in a Mediterranean climate that is consistently mistaken with being a desert. Lack of water isn’t a new problem in the area; however, due to global warming, drought has become the “new normal.” Capturing and cleaning storm water will reduce L.A.’s dependency on imported water. Mayor Garcetti plans to reduce imported water by 50% by 2025 and to source 50% of water locally by 2035. Recycled water will be part of that plan. L.A. has many beautiful gardens, golf courses, and stadiums, which use large amounts of water needed by residents.

The SoFi Stadium, home of the 2022 Super Bowl, uses recycled water on its ecologically designed landscape. The West Basin Municipal Water District supplies water to the home of the Rams and Chargers on a regular basis. Coliseum-online states, “West Basin will produce and distribute recycled water for landscape irrigation, maintenance and aesthetic purposes at the landmark sports and entertainment destination, including Lake Park and the lush foliage encircling the amazing arena.”

Combined with other water projects in the areas, West Basin will supply 26 million gallons to the stadium, saving the same amount in drinking water.

BlueLA powered by Blink Mobility

BlueLA powered by Blink Mobility is the largest, all-electric car sharing service and is part of the City of Los Angeles’s mobility solutions. Blink Mobility is not only a greener transportation option in Los Angeles, but its low-cost also makes electric vehicles available to disadvantaged residents, improving the community and environment one ride at a time.

This incredible service is available to anyone over 18 years of age with a valid driver’s license. Members have access to a network of shared electric vehicles 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, at self-service locations throughout central Los Angeles. The service is great for every day needs or for getting to SoFi Stadium for the Super Bowl! All at a low-cost and with no tailpipe emissions.

We hope the NFL, the cities of Los Angeles and Inglewood, and Blue LA powered by Blink Mobility inspire you to go green this coming Super Bowl Sunday and the rest of the year.