Location(s):

Portland, OR

Summary:

The Portland Trail Blazers are certainly blazing their own trail by adding composting to single waste stream management. In 2005, the Trail Blazers, Rose Quarter operations, Ovations Food Service, and City of Portland made a commitment to divert 100% of the venue’s solid waste from the landfill. In 2005, 35% of waste generated was recovered through back of house and office recycling and it was determined that 60% could be composted if they switched to compostable food service ware. In 2010, after making changes and a switch to compostable disposables, they achieved a rate of 80% landfill diversion.

Products and Brands Composted: 

StalkMarket (local to Portland) – cups and food packaging

Collection System: 

The Stadium contains 300 GreenDrop recycling stations for guests, which include signs that indicate how items should be disposed. Once full, the compostable items go through a food waste compactor which was purchased GreenDrop Recycling Binfrom a grant given by Metro, Portland’s tri-county regional government. The City of Portland provided bulk handling containers to manage the large volumes of compostables and recyclables about to be hauled.

Compost Process:
Allied Waste processes their organic material at their composting facility.

Size of Operation:
The stadium brings in approximately two million guests and puts out about two million pounds of disposable material each year.

Dollars and Sense:
Cost savings were found throughout the supply chain. From the reduced operational costs (landfill tipping fees, solid waste hauling) to the recycling stations reducing labor cost of cleaning since guests get involved in carrying out their own waste. It also helped that there was no additional cost for switching to compostables since collectively, some petroleum products cost more than their compostable alternatives.

Dollars and Sense: 

Cost savings were found throughout the supply chain. From the reduced operational costs (landfill tipping fees, solid waste hauling) to the recycling stations reducing labor cost of cleaning since guests get involved in carrying out their own waste. It also helped that there was no additional cost for switching to compostables since collectively, some petroleum products cost more than their compostable alternatives.

Challenges: 

One challenge they faced was to get the guests to change their “one can fits all” thinking.

Tips for Replication: 

A good plan of action is to start with making back of house changes first. Get housekeeping and concessions staff trained on sorting materials. Then make front of house changes such as adding recycling stations and managing what guests throw away.