Not sure if you’ve been down to Subaru Park this year, but the stadium has really modernized the approach to sustainability.

So much so, that the Union sent out a press release Monday revealing the stadium’s official status as a place that sends nothing to the landfill, saying this, in part:

CHESTER, Pa. (Oct. 25, 2021) – Subaru of America, Inc., in partnership with the Philadelphia Union, today announced that Subaru Park has reached zero landfill status, making it the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer (MLS) to reach the milestone. The achievement was celebrated at the October 23 match with a commemorative jersey patch and ceremonial re-opening as a zero landfill stadium.

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By implementing the automaker’s established zero landfill philosophy, Subaru Park has achieved the nationally recognized zero landfill status, meaning that all of the waste generated at Philadelphia Union games will either be reduced, reused or recycled. Within an average year, Subaru Park will divert approximately 357,480 pounds of waste from local landfills.

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Subaru Park achieved this goal by cutting the amount of waste each fan generates in half and by increasing the amount of waste fans recycle five-fold. Evaluations were done on all of the products coming into the stadium and determined there were many items that could be eliminated or replaced with a better, recyclable or compostable option. As an example, Subaru Park saved 47,000 pounds of plastic cups by simply serving a beverage in its original recyclable container.

Seems fantastic on the surface, and it mostly is. They’ve really implemented some common sense measures down that that limit how much waste is generated, and should absolutely be commended for it.

The one issue, however, is that the reduced amount of waste goes to a Chester incinerator, and back in July, when the Union and Subaru announced that they were embarking on this zero-landfill endeavor, some local residents pushed back because they were worried that it would contribute to area pollution.

Kenny Cooper wrote the following in a WHYY story published on 6/9/21:

According to Subaru of America, the partnership will divert roughly 357,000 pounds of waste from local landfills. Non-recyclable trash from the stadium will be burned at the incinerator in Chester operated by Covanta Holding Corp. — the company some residents of the city and environmental activists accuse of currently polluting the air. Spectra and Recycle Track Systems Inc. will also be involved with the operation.

A press release says the steam generated “will turn the turbines to produce electricity for the Philadelphia area,” but some Chester residents fear they will pay the costs.

Covanta’s Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Center has operated in Chester, a predominantly Black community, since 1992. Incinerating about 3,500 tons of trash a day, the center was cited in a 2019 New School report as one of the largest emitters of pollution for a facility of its kind in the country.

Cooper notes in the article that Covanta’s contract with the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority “expires in April 2022, and a community-versus-company showdown is expected at some point.”

In the press release sent out over the summer, the Union and Subaru explained that non-recyclable items include restroom paper towels and utensils, which will be “hauled by Recycle Track systems and sent to Covanta Environmental Solutions where the material will be used to generate steam that will turn the turbines to produce electricity for the Philadelphia area.” That’s the exact wording in the release.

It’s an interesting story, and maybe somebody can pursue it further. I would if I didn’t have two young kids and an obligation to write about the pitiful Philadelphia Eagles. On the surface, it’s a really admirable push by Subaru and the Union to cut down on waste, and show a willingness to be more eco-conscious. But the community concerns are legit and should be taken seriously at the same time.