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Padres Go Green

The San Diego Padres and its contracted partners, in collaboration and cooperation with Major League Baseball and Federal, State and local governmental agencies, are committed to the development and execution of a Green Initiative for Petco Park. This proactive plan is focused on the implementation of recycling, waste management, energy efficiencies and water conservation. The goal is to utilize as many available and appropriate resources as possible in an effort to operate the ballpark in an environmentally friendly manner. In order to maintain a successful Green Initiative, Petco Park is dedicated to provide continuous education and outreach to all ballpark employees and fans.

Padres Partners
The following partners work together toward a greener Petco Park:

• Aramark
• City of San Diego Environmental Services
• Hines
• Sportservice
• Waste Management

Awards
2005 City of San Diego Recycler of the Year Award
2006 City of San Diego Environmental Partner Award
2007 City of San Diego Waste Reduction Director's Recycling Award
2008 City of San Diego Waste Reduction Director's Recycling Award
2009 City of San Diego Recycler of the Year Award
2009 San Diego Downtown Partnership Sustainability Award
2009 California Integrated Waste Management Board Waste Reduction Award
2009 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise Gold Achievement Award for Public Venue Recycling
2010 City of San Diego Recycler of the Year Award
2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise Gold Achievement Award for Public Venue Waste Reduction
2010 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award
2010 California Integrated Waste Management Board Waste Reduction Award
2011 City of San Diego Recycler of the Year Award
2011 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise Gold Achievement Award for Food Recovery
2011 CalRecycle Waste Reduction Award
2012 City of San Diego Recycler of the Year Award

Recycling Programs | Fan Outreach | Employee Outreach
Water Conservation | Energy Efficiencies | Events

Recycling Programs
The Padres are working to increase its overall recycling to more than 65-percent in 2012, up from 50-percent last year. This includes recycling: commingled items (plastic, paper, glass and aluminum); cardboard; cooking oil; food waste; green waste (i.e., grass clippings); e-waste (computers, CPUs, light bulbs); uniform clothes; wood pallets; and wire hangers.

Petco Park has the following sustainable practices in place:

• Commingled Recycling (plastic, mixed paper, glass, aluminum)
• At the conclusion of any game or major event, the waste left by fans is sorted into trash and recyclables for collection service.
• Ballpark employees participate at individual desks, copy rooms, conference rooms and suites.
• The Padres Accounting Department contracts with Shred-It, to destroy and recycle 100 lbs of paper each month.
• Cardboard Recycling
• Petco Park recycles cardboard by use of a baler system. Contracted building partners pile boxes for janitorial teams to collect and break down. A baler operator flattens and compacts the cardboard bales for collection service.
• Cooking Oil Recycling
• Cooking oil is collected in drums and is removed twice a month. Each load varies from 400-800 lbs per removal. The collected cooking oil is then processed into safe, useful products including bio-diesel fuels, animal feed, and lubricants.
• Food Waste Recycling
• All concession stands and restaurants within Petco Park participate in a food waste diversion program. At the conclusion of any game or major event, food waste is disposed into a compactor. The food waste is then taken to the Miramar Greenery where it's turned into compost. The compost is periodically returned on site for use by ballpark landscaping.
• Green Waste Recycling
• Grass clippings from the playing field are sent to the Miramar Greenery for composting.
• In the event the entire field needs to be replanted, efforts are made to donate all reusable sod. Recipients range from Little League fields to military golf courses.
• E-Waste & Hazardous Waste Recycling
• Computers, monitors, printers, televisions, and anything else with a plug are palletized and removed for recycling.
• Old light bulbs are collected and removed by an independent recycling company.
• Dry cell batteries are collected in a certified tub and sent to a hazardous waste recycling company.
• Uniform Clothing Recycling
• Working with a local paper company, old staff uniforms with logos are recycled by shredding the fabric to create paper products. The paper can be used by the ballpark for various projects, such as menu's in the restaurants, bookmarks for employees, note cards, etc.
• All non-logo uniform attire is donated to Goodwill Industries for re-use
• Wood Pallet Recycling
• All unclaimed wood pallets are removed by a local company that distributes them for reuse. Broken or damaged pallets are also removed so they may be repaired for reuse in an effort to ensure wood scrap is not wasted.
• Wire Hanger Recycling
• The dry cleaning valet service used by office staff collect all wire hangers which are then re-used by the dry cleaning company.
• Recycled Recreational Surfacing
• The Playground in Park at the Park was constructed using SAF DEK recreational surfacing that is made from 75% recycled rubber.
• There is approximately 7,472 square feet of rubber flooring in other areas of the ballpark, including the bullpen, dugouts, running tunnel, and clubhouse hallways. Each of these surfaces is made predominantly from recycled rubber material.
• Plastic Packaging Recycling
• The San Diego Padres have partnered with TREX Industries to recycle plastic packaging. A baler was installed at Petco Park for all collected polyethylene films such as shrink wrap (e.g. the plastic wrap on water bottle flats) and stretch wrap (e.g. form pallets), and for the plastic bags collected at the Employee Recycle Center. TREX uses these materials to form boards for decking, railing and fencing.

Fan Outreach

• Recycling Vending Machine
• The Padres introduced a reverse vending machine that accepts empty recyclable beverage containers. Fans deposit their plastic bottles or aluminum cans into the machine for a chance to win one of four prizes.
• Signage
• Educational slides are displayed during the pre and post-game loop on all the TVs located throughout the ballpark.
• Recycling Inning
• At the bottom of the 5th inning during every home game, Guest Services Representatives walk throughout the seating bowl to collect recyclable items from fans.
• Blue Print Publication
• The Padres distribute a new Blue Print magazine to fans at the start of each homestand that includes a Go Green Fan Guide.

Employee Outreach

• Training
• Employees are required to attend trainings throughout each baseball season. These training sessions include information on recycling and other environmental efforts implemented at the ballpark.
• A training video was created to break down the steps for what is expected of each employee with regards to helping the environment while working at the ballpark.
• Employee Handbook
• Before the start of each season, all employees are given an employee handbook. A "Green" section is included in the handbook that lists the common waste items found throughout the ballpark and distinguishes if they are recyclable or not.
• Signage
• Signs that distinguish what items are recyclable and what items are not recyclable have been posted in all common areas including employee break rooms and copy rooms.
• Newsletter
• A Padres "Go Green" section was added to the newsletter distributed to all employees before each home game. The new section includes fun facts on recycling and other environmental impacts.
• Employee Recycle Center
• The Padres have provided the opportunity for employees to recycle items from home. The Employee Recycle Center has a collection slot for batteries, CFLs, plastic bags, cell phones, ink cartridges, and wine corks. Once the recycle center is full, each bin is properly disposed or recycled.

Water Conservation

• Domestic Use
• All public restrooms have time control faucets that automatically shut off the water after a set time period. This eliminates the possibility of having faucets left on and wasting water.
• Irrigation Use
• All landscaping in planters are on drip systems and time clock functioned. The planters are continuously monitored for seasonal or other changes to watering schedules. The playing field is also time clock controlled but within this system is moisture monitors that will add water or delay as needed.

Energy Efficiencies

• Electronic Ballasts, T-8 Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
• T-8 fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps are used in place of the old T-12 lamps and incandescent lamps. These replacements provide the same lumens at a fraction of the power.
• All expired compact fluorescent bulbs are recycled by a third party environmental company.
• Variable Frequency Drives (VFD)
• These devices are incorporated into every motor requiring 25 horsepower or greater in the facility; the VFD's primary purpose is to vary the speed of the motor based on the required load.
• Building Management System (BMS)
• The BMS is a computer program that monitors and controls all of the heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), televisions and lighting systems at the ballpark. These functions shift the set points at the minimum required, thereby saving energy.
• Lighting Controls and Astronomical Time Clock
• Incorporated within the BMS is an astronomical time clock. This function calculates the sunset times for each day and will turn on the lights that are programmed at the proper time.
• Motion Sensors
• Motion sensors were installed in all San Diego Padres offices, cubicles and common work areas in an effort to reduce electricity consumption. Sensors are programmed to turn off lights 30 minutes after space remains unoccupied.
• Suite A/C Controllers
• In an effort to ensure utility usage was not being wasted, air-conditioning will automatically deactivate when the ballpark suites roll-up door is opened.
• Emergency Generators
• To reduce power demand whenever there is a imminent brown-out or black-out the Padres' emergency generator system will be activated and operate simultaneously with utility power in an effort to reduce the amount of utility power used.

Events

• Dress for Success Clothing Donations
• Each year, Padres employees are invited to participate in a clothing drive benefiting Dress for Success. Employees could opt to donate their gently used professional wear, or swap it for something else on the donation rack. Any clothes that are not claimed by the end of the week are automatically donated to the Dress for Success program.
• Bike Pavilion
• The Padres and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition have teamed up to provide a specially-designed bicycle pavilion at Petco Park for all Sunday home games in an effort to encourage alternate means of transportation to and from Petco Park to promote a healthy lifestyle and to reduce carbon emissions.
• Green Game
• Green Night was introduced on August 22, 2009 to promote all of Petco Park's environmental efforts. Now an annual event at the ballpark, guests receive an environmentally focused giveaway at the gates. A Green Village consisting of booths set up by local environmental groups are stationed in Park at the Park and Green Facts are posted on the scoreboard during the night's game.

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