![]() Then, in the “post-trash” phase, a group of sorters in the compost - a small area near Gate 14 with two sorting tables and four compactors - work in shifts to separate out trash, recyclable and compostable items before they are sent to the facility. It happens in three waves, according to Grant, with a crew systematically working through each section of the stadium to first bag recyclable items, then compostable materials and finally any remaining waste. The clean-up process takes a team effort among 200 staff members. “The Coliseum waste diversion is incredibly efficient because you’ve got organized vendors and organized maintenance people,” said Esther Margulies, an associate professor at the USC School of Architecture. It topped itself this year, recording a 91.38 percent diversion rate in the Colorado game. Last year USC won the competition after diverting 90.96 percent of gameday waste during an October game. It diverted 90 percent of waste in the season opener against UNLV and 91 percent against Colorado, which was the “Green Game” in the Pac-12’s annual Zero Waste Competition. This season, the Coliseum has achieved zero waste in two out of three USC games in which data was made available. McAlister Field is one of 10 venues that the facilities management team maintains on a regular basis.It was a point of pride to be able to do this kind of thing.” “We knew we were taking a bigger leap,” Grant said. In 2017, it became the largest NFL stadium and second largest college stadium to achieve “zero waste,” by recycling, repurposing or composting 90 percent of its waste. And numbers indicate that achieving zero waste is possible, even at the Coliseum. But while TCF Bank Stadium opened in 2009, the Coliseum is 86 years older and holds about 28,000 more seats.ĭespite these obstacles, Grant knew he could make it happen. Additionally, almost seven tons of recycling and over nine tons of compost were diverted.īrian Grant, the Senior Associate Director of Facilities & Project Management of operations at the Coliseum, helped start the Zero Waste initiative along with Jeff Farrell, the Coliseum Facility Operations Manager.Īfter heading operations at TCF Bank Stadium - home of the University of Minnesota football team - which also has a zero waste program, Grant and his team decided to try it in Los Angeles. 13, attended by over 50,000 fans - the most recent game for which data is available - 16.3 of 17.8 tons of waste were diverted from landfill. Vendors are just one facet of the large puzzle that is the Zero Waste program: It’s a program that has become necessary for the Coliseum, where this season, fans have generated more than 10 tons of waste per game, according to the Office of Sustainability.ĭuring the Colorado game on Nov. “A lot of them are proud, like, ‘Hey, check out what we did,’” Sierra said of the vendors. They know to use compostable materials - and they are happy to participate in conservation efforts. With the program in its fourth season, vendors know the drill. “You can just watch for one second and see what that they’re serving. “If they’ve been good the past couple of weeks, I’m not going to rip through everything,” Sierra said. He’ll then talk to the vendor and confirm they’ll swap out the material next week. He examines napkins, cups and straws, making a note of anything that doesn’t look compostable. ![]() Holding a notepad with a pen tucked behind his ear, he slowly makes his way around the stadium, performing audits on vendors to ensure they adhere to zero-waste regulations - using compostable containers, wrappers and service ware. He helps oversee the Zero Waste program at the Coliseum, an initiative launched in 2015 to reduce waste at the historic stadium, which hosted nearly one million fans between USC and Los Angeles Rams football games in 2017. ![]() Somewhere in the swarm is Joshua Sierra, who works as a program specialist in the USC Office of Sustainability. Thousands of students and fans stream onto the concourse, talking, laughing and buying drinks - enjoying everything gameday has to offer. It’s Saturday night, minutes before USC’s game against Colorado at the Coliseum, and the stadium is abuzz. A team of workers pick trash under the seats after a double-header weekend of games at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Oct.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |