When I think of Major League Baseball, comprehensive sustainability and environmental programs aren’t the first things that come to mind.
That’s not because baseball, or sports in general, are inherently bad for the environment. It’s just not the connection most of us make right away. But waste management, recycling, and energy reduction programs have become central to MLB in recent years. The Mariners, and T-Mobile Park, have long been among the teams and ballparks helping lead that shift.
For the last 20 years, the Mariners have helped lead the way in sustainable ballpark operations. From reusable cup programs and solar panels to plant-based food options and food donation programs, efforts to lighten the environmental footprint, give back to the local community, and enhance the experience are embedded into many details of Mariners’ games.
Fans may notice tasty plant-based options on game day menus, including the Vegan Area 206 Curry at Tamari Bar, Salt & Straw’s dairy-free ice cream flavors, and The Natural, an entire stand dedicated to plant-based bites, including veggie sausages and vegan nachos. There are also electric vehicle chargers in the Mariners garage, individual bins for compost, recycling, and garbage, and a solar array on the sky bridge.
Other, more behind-the-scenes details aren’t as visible at first glance: concessions partners donating unused food to local charities, cleaning crews that hand-separate plastic, energy efficiency programs such as replacing original field lighting with LED lights, and zero-emission electric mowers that maintain the playing field.
In 2014, the Mariners became the first MLB team to install LED field lights, which use 60% less power and are brighter than standard lights. By 2020, the team’s recycling rate at T-Mobile Park had reached 98%. Individually, these measures are a nice add-on. But collectively, they make a discernible difference, and show a cohesive effort to tread as lightly on the environment as possible.
The team’s dedication to recycling earned them the Green Glove Award in 2017, which is awarded to the MLB team with the highest waste diversion rate. In 2020, they shared the honor with the San Francisco Giants.
In addition to the Green Glove, MLB also has a range of other green awards, including the Power Pitch Award, which is awarded to the team that has the highest reduction in energy usage from the previous year, and the H2O Home Run Award, which recognizes the stadium with the biggest reduction in water consumption over the last year. Earth Day on April 20 is a significant day at T-Mobile Park and at MLB stadiums across the country, which are regularly involved in events of all kinds. MLB also drives Earth Day education campaigns and educational videos across schools in the U.S.
And as environmental fragility and carbon footprint reduction continue to be imperative topics, efforts continue to evolve, both at our home stadium and across the MLB. In April 2024, MLB partnered with WM (previously known as Waste Management) as the league’s first official sustainability partner. All 30 MLB teams will have access to WM’s sustainability consulting services and a digital platform that allows them to track their environmental impact through a variety of metrics.
With the Mariners’ season now underway and running through the end of September, there’s plenty of time to look around T-Mobile Park for details you may not have noticed before. There’s a lot more than meets the eye. It’s a humbling reminder that Seattle’s forward-thinking ideas often show up in the details.
