Spokane Indians commit to being waste-free by 2022

Erin Robinson by Erin Robinson

Spokane Indians Baseball The Spokane Indians have vowed to go waste-free by 2022.

The Spokane Indians have made a commitment to help the planet.

The minor league baseball team announced they will be a Zero Waste facility by 2022. In a release sent Wednesday, team and ballpark officials said they have been recycling for years, but are expanding their sustainability efforts with the new Zero Waste campaign.

“It is our goal to be a Zero Waster leader in Minor League Baseball,” the release said. “We are part of a growing green sports movement joining other teams such as the Seattle Mariners, the San Francisco Giants, and the New York Yankees.”

“The Spokane Indians Baseball Team has been a proud community partner since 1903, and we understand the importance of doing our part to protect the environment and resources for future generations, said Senior Vice President Otto Klein. “The Zero Waste by 2022 Campaign is the next chapter for how we are striving to take care of the place we call home.”

The team is building a closed-loop system, so food and items that have traditionally been sent to a landfill will instead be reused. The team has already started investing in compostable beer cups, Pepsi cups, lids, straws and utensils.

If you’ve been to the ballpark this year, you should have seen new Zero Waste stations. They help you navigate where to send your trash: in the compost bin, recycle bin or landfill. There is also a Spokane Indians Green Team that sorts through the bins after each game to ensure they have been properly separated.

Compostable items then go to a local composting facility where they are broken down with heat and are used to build nutrient-dense soil. That soil is then brought back to Avista Stadium and reused in flower beds at the front of the park.

The Indians are also planning to create an on-site vegetable garden. The veggies will be used in specialty food items throughout the ballpark as part of a farm-to-stadium program.

The team said they will take each off-season to continue research and develop ways to improve their diversion rate to reach Zero Waste by 2022. They also hope to create fun and educational ways to engage fans of all ages.

Learn more about the Zero Waste by 2022 Campaign here.

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