The Good Economist June 2016 | Page 8

Long before sustainability was the norm, the Philadelphia Eagles were a pioneer in sustainable stadium construction. Lincoln Financial Field, or the Linc, was awarded LEED certification in 2013, making the Eagles only the second NFL team to receive that designation.

How did such a large company make the business case for going green? To find out, SBN co-hosted a tour of the Eagles’ home earlier this month. Joined by elected officials, business leaders, and renewable energy professionals, we explored all elements of the team’s Go Green program. What began with a blue bin under each employee’s desk in 2003, Go Green has grown into a company-wide sustainability initiative that includes renewable energy production and procurement, energy efficiency, recycling, composting, and much more.

The Linc boasts 11,000 solar panels and over 80 micro wind turbines. At 4 MW of peak power, it can proudly say that it generates more solar power than any other NFL stadium. Most impressive of all, combined annual energy production is more than four times the power consumed during a season of home game days.

The Eagles also divert 99% of their waste from landfills. Credited for this success is a robust recycling and composting effort. These efforts include the implementation of corn-based food and beverage containers, and the recycling of cooking oil into biodiesel. However, the Green Team is deserving of the greatest credit. This group is responsible for sorting through each bag of trash for recyclables, resulting in more than 850 tons of materials recycled each year.

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How a Football Franchise Made the Business Case for Going Green