Baseball Stadium
Sustainability
By: Liam Fitzgerald
8TH Grade, Tamarac Middle School
RPI EcoEd Middle School Research Project
Spring 2012
Stakeholders

Major League Baseball

Stadium Grounds Crew

MLB Fans

MLB Management

MLB Players
Major League Baseball

Make all decisions for the
league

Meet regularly with
environmental advocates

Inform team owners about
changes to be made
Stadium Grounds Crew

Apply changes to
the stadium

Become healthier
if the team decides
to make better
chemical choices
MLB Fans

Pay majority of the
money

Support the league

Changes to Major
League Baseball
stadiums raise
awareness among fans
MLB Owners/Management

Manage all money
for their specific
team

Decide what changes
are made to their
parks
Brian Cashman
General Manager of the New York Yankees
MLB Players

Using the field
that is being
changed

MLBPA has to
agree with all
changes made by
MLB
Environmental Concerns Overview

Stadium Lights

Garbage/Waste Disposal

Water Consumption

Grass Chemicals
Problem 1:
Stadium Lights

High-energy consumer

Often inefficient

Release more energy than
close to all other major
ballpark appliances
combined
Problem 2: Garbage/Waste Disposal

No recycling programs

Limited garbage cans

Few biodegradable
items

Lots of litter around
the park
Problem 3: Grass

Had a sponsorship with
Scott’s Miracle-Gro
using semi-toxic
chemicals

Together, MLB teams
use 75 MILLION
pounds of pesticides
each year
Chemicals
Problem 4: Water
Consumption

An endless amount of water
is used by every big league
stadium every day

10 Million Gallons Each
Year per stadium

Water is a resource we need
to survive
Environmental Solutions Overview

Solar Panels

Recycling Programs

Healthier Chemicals

Rain Water Harvesting
Program
Solution 1: Solar

10+ Parks have
already switched
to panels, some
that could power
up to 400 TV’s

Less energy is
used by lighting
Panels
Solution 2: Recycling Program

90% of all MLB
stadiums now have fanaccessible recycling
program

Reduces amount of
litter

Reduces amount of
trash at local landfills
Solution 3: Healthier

Reduce amount of
pesticides used on
field

Limit association
with brand name
lawn programs
Chemicals
Solution 4:
Rain Water Harvesting Program

Used by Target Field and
Nationals Park

Collects up to 4.8 million
gallons of water each
year

Underground
contraption, that collects
precipitation and filters it
Thoughts about the Future

Solar Panels at
all 30 Ball
Parks

Solid
recycling
programs
Closing Argument



The Minnesota Twins were
awarded the LEED Silver
Certification
Miller Park (Home of the
Brewers) was also awarded
the LEED Certification
Other ballparks to go above
and beyond are Nationals
Park, Fenway Park, Safeco
Field, Progressive Field and
AT&T Park.