The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the oldest and most successful Major League Baseball teams in the nation, playing their home games at Busch Stadium, right in the heart of the downtown St. Louis. In addition to chasing World Series championships on the field, the Cardinals earned Champion Level recognition in the 2024 St. Louis Green Business Challenge, which they’ve been an active participant in all 15 years of the Challenge. Just in time for Opening Day, the Clean Air Partnership is pleased to spotlight the Cardinals’ ongoing commitment to promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability in the region.
“Year after year, the St. Louis Green Business Challenge adds value to commitments the Cardinals make to sustainable achievement,” said Mairead Scanlon, supervisor of facility and logistics for the Cardinals. “The Challenge encourages us to think creatively about how we can further our sustainable practices and serves as a reminder about the importance of maintaining the programs we have already implemented.”
In 2024, the Cardinals launched several green initiatives to reduce excess waste. Alongside concessionaire Delaware North, the Cardinals partnered with Operation Food Search (OFS) to regularly give back to feed the less fortunate, donating 10.4 tons of food last year alone. To conserve energy in Busch Stadium’s all-inclusive areas, LED lights were also installed in the newly debuted Budweiser 703 Club. This is an important eco-friendly upgrade as LED lights contribute to better air quality by reducing energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing light pollution, and eliminating the use of harmful chemicals found in traditional lighting. Additionally, more than 1.4 tons of e-Waste were recycled throughout the stadium to further reduce environmental impact.
On top of that, the Cardinals implemented new and improved sustainability measures such as collecting ink and toner cartridges used in the offices and recycling them through Kyocera’s ECO footPRINT Toner Recycling Program. Recycling cartridges is an effective way to reduce airborne pollutants by preventing the release of hazardous materials into landfills and cuts down the need for manufacturing new cartridges, which consumes resources and energy.
During the Challenge, efforts were also taken to grow the Cardinals Green Team, which is made up of volunteers who collect recyclables during games to divert waste from local landfills. Volunteer retention was promoted through a new incentive program – based on the number of games individuals worked – that offered promotional items, Cardinals tickets and invitations to volunteer for concerts. Likewise, the organization spearheaded another Green Team recruitment initiative with in-game tabling in Ford Plaza throughout the season to help boost volunteer enrollment in the program.
For more information on the St. Louis Cardinals and how your company can get involved in the Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair.
