The Dell Diamond Diverts to Minimal-Waste
ROUND ROCK, Texas –Round Rock Express Baseball and Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) have entered a partnership to make The Dell Diamond a minimal-waste facility, it was announced Wednesday. In a program at the forefront of sports stadium waste management, TDS has outlined a sustainability plan that will combine single-stream recycling and food-waste composting to maximize the amount of materials diverted from landfill disposal. The plan is set to roll-out when the Express return home for its first home stand of the 2012 season on Friday, April 13th.
The Dell Diamond will be outfitted with new identifiable receptacles labeled for compost items such as uneaten food and soiled paper, single-stream recyclable items like cans and plastics, as well as waste receptacles for anything which can’t be repurposed. Express fans will be asked to assist in the new process by choosing to discard waste in the appropriate container. Through the partnership, TDS, Round Rock Express, and concessions provider Sodexo have evaluated all products and have found solutions to provide food and drink containers which can be either recycled or composted where possible.
“Our goal, always, is to maintain the ballpark with responsible resource management,” Express Founder and CEO Reid Ryan said. “Thanks to this partnership and this program, our aim for the future is to be as close to zero-waste as possible.”
From The Dell Diamond, recyclable materials will be processed at the TDS Materials Recovery Facility South of Austin. All food waste will be repurposed and made into new compost products and sold at Garden-Ville stores in local areas.
“When we see an opportunity for a program that will do the right thing by the environment, further recycling education on a large scale, and maximize diversion from the landfill … that’s our equivalent of a grand slam,” Jennifer Gregory of Texas Disposal Systems said. “We could not be more excited about our partnership with the Round Rock Express and bringing our expertise to such a top notch facility.”
As part of a larger marketing campaign, fans attending games at The Dell Diamond will benefit from educational promotions centered on the program. Fans will be able to keep track of their results through a repurposing tabulation highlighted during games and a special teaching segment titled “Talking Trash” will be featured during select half-inning breaks. The partnership aims to greatly increase the amount of materials that can be repurposed, ensuring only chip and candy wrappers and some plastic cutlery will be landfilled after use.
Based in Creedmoor, Texas Disposal Systems, which is a 34-year-old family owned and operated company, provides the highest quality solid waste and recycling service to a variety of markets throughout the state. TDS holds the first fully integrated permit issued in the state of Texas for handling waste, recyclables, and compost, at one facility making them the only company that is capable of handling all three streams coming out of The Dell Diamond at one facility. Because of their commitment to repurpose as many usable materials as possible and keep them out of the landfill, creating programs like the new Dell Diamond program is one of the reasons they are a leader in their industry.