Since 2021, State Farm Arena Has Hosted Almost 600 Zero Waste Events, More Than Any Venue in the World

ATLANTA – On Earth Day, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena today announced that they have reached a new sustainability milestone by diverting more than 10 million pounds of waste from landfills since the start of their zero-waste journey. Included in the diversion, the award-winning downtown venue recycled nearly four million pounds of aluminum, plastic, glass and cardboard, composted over three million pounds of food and organic material and repurposed nearly three million pounds of electronics, clothing and other items. 

Since May 2021, the venue has consistently diverted a minimum of 90 percent of waste from landfills and in April 2022, the venue became the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste. 

“We are honored to serve as a community asset, not only in sports and entertainment, but also in sustainability,” said Sofi Armenakian, Head of Sustainable Strategy for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. “Ten million pounds is a huge number. This milestone is as a testament to the power of collaboration – from our team members and partners to the fans who join us every event. Together, we’re proving that when a venue leads with purpose, meaningful environmental impact follows. We’re all part of the solution.”

Since the start of State Farm Arena’s zero waste journey, the venue has accomplished the following:

• Recycled more than 4 million pounds (4,090,082) of materials. This primarily included aluminum, plastics, cardboard, glass and more. 
• Composted more than 3 million (3,233,169) pounds of food and organic material. Any food that could not be donated was composted. Composting is the natural process of turning organic matter, such as food and compostable service ware, into a valuable fertilizer used by local farmers.
• Reused or donated nearly 3 million pounds (2,634,409) of materials like food, electronics, clothing, crates, pallets and more.
• Reduced waste by 651,209 pounds by eliminating paper tickets, individual condiment packets, disposable service ware and more. 

“We are incredibly proud of to hit this 10-million-pound milestone,” said Andrew Saltzman, President of Business Enterprise and Chief Commercial Officer for the Hawks and State Farm Arena. “Our success in sustainability is a credit to our partners who continue supporting our efforts, our employees who are driven to be leaders in the space and the fans who attend our events and appreciate the importance we place on taking care of the environment.” 

The Hawks and State Farm Arena have built a robust network of sustainability partnerships that have significantly enhanced their environmental efforts. The Hawks’ in-game segment ‘Recycle and Win’, a surprise and delight activation that rewards fans for correctly using the compost, recycle and trash bins, is presented by State Farm Arena’s official aluminum recycling partner, Novelis. Other key collaborations include Kimberly-Clark Professional, which has helped implement product recycling and smart restroom technology, and Smurfit Westrock, the official partner of the arena’s Resource Recovery Room, working to reduce waste and support local communities. Honeywell has upgraded building operations to lower energy use and emissions. Heineken® has also contributed to the success of State Farm Arena’s sustainability journey through numerous community events and the utilization of Reverse Vending Machines for recycling, offering fans an easy way to recycle their beverage containers. Additionally, through Georgia Natural Gas’ Greener Life for Business program, the arena offsets 100% of the carbon emissions from its natural gas usage to further expand its commitment to sustainability.  

To learn more about the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena are leading the way in sustainability efforts across the sports and entertainment industry, visit StateFarmArena.com/sustainability.