In all that our club does, Minnesota United is committed to following the most environmentally conscious practices we can find. Whether that means reducing the waste we send to landfills, donating leftover food that would have otherwise been thrown away, or removing harmful products from our stadium, MNUFC strives to continually improve the impact we have on the world we live in.
With the start of the new season, we will be unveiling even more sustainability initiatives. Next time you get a drink at Allianz Field, you may notice that there are no plastic straws in sight. Instead, we will be introducing the fully marine-compostable Phade Straw. This straw is made entirely with products derived from canola oil, meaning it will decompose quickly and naturally. Don’t worry though, this straw won’t fall apart when you take a sip.
Similarly, we will be transitioning to the exclusive use of compostable plastic cups in our stadium this season. While a mixture of cup types were used in previous seasons, we are officially making the switch this year to entirely compostable drink options, from the cups to the straws.
Another exciting initiative coming in 2023 is a partnership between Delaware North Concessions and Rock and Wrap it Up. This partnership will see all unused food at each home match packaged and picked up to be used in the fight against food insecurity in the Twin Cities.
These exciting new practices will build on the work we have already been doing. In 2022 alone, Allianz Field was able to divert 54.98% of its refuse from the landfill. That accounts for 218,986 lbs. of would-be-waste that was recycled and composted instead.
On top of our focus on waste reduction, Allianz Field was also able to reduce its electric demand on public utilities last year. Even with all of the large events hosted at the stadium, we reduced our kilowatts per hour by 6%, 333,602 kWh in total. This is equivalent to the electricity used to power just over 31 homes for a year.
As the seasons continue to pass by, we will remain committed to constantly improving our stewardship of the Earth and reducing our impact on the environment, our community, and the valuable natural resources of the state we call home.
