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Approximately 70,000 people are expected to attend Super Bowl LIV at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
It’s a big game that could equate to a lot of trash. But the NFL has a sustainability plan.
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"It’s very important to us to make sure that we’re leading the charge on sustainability, and we certainly are doing that at our most premium event," said Nicki Ewell, Director of Events for the NFL.
Hard Rock Stadium became the first in the NFL to start using 20-ounce sustainable reusable aluminum cups made by the Ball Corporation when the Miami Dolphins played the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 22 .
The NFL called it part of a larger green initiative happening at the Super Bowl for almost 25 years.
The stadium plans to eliminate 99.4 percent of all single-use plastics in 2020. Plant-based utensils are also used in all stadium suites and premium areas.
Additionally, straws won’t be used at the Super Bowl and any plastic will be corn-based that breaks down. There’s also a robust recycling plan, and all Super Bowl LIV barricade covers and graphics will be transformed.
"They make them into purses and shower curtains, and all those things, so that nothing ends up in a landfill," Ewell said.
The NFL’s green initiative also incorporates the food sold on game day. All extra food goes to shelters and soup kitchens.
