FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Green Sports Alliance Launches the Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook

August 31, 2022: Portland, OR – Today the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) launched the Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook supported by its Corporate Membership Network and its member, NatureWorks. The purpose of this playbook is to address how certified compostable food serviceware and packaging can play a vital role in sports venues, by facilitating organic waste diversion from landfills to composting facilities.Venues and stadiums, where proper industrial composting infrastructure exists, can utilize this playbook to begin preventing single-use plastic and organic waste from accumulating in landfills and further efforts in greenhouse gas reduction. Future editions of this playbook will further explore how to expand venue logistics to implement a successful and comprehensive zero waste program to advance decarbonization goals.The authors of this playbook are recognized by the following organizations AgRecycle, EcoProducts, Max-R, NatureWorks and WM. The Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook, along with additional playbooks for implementing sustainable practices, can be downloaded at greensportsalliance.org/press.

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Statement from the Green Sports Alliance:“The Green Sports Alliance is excited to join forces with our Corporate Member Network to provide this valuable resource to our members as we promote more sustainable practices throughout the sports industry. This playbook provides an important tool to accelerate zero waste initiatives as part of our Play to Zero initiative.” – Scott Jenkins, Green Sports Alliance Board ChairStatement from NatureWorks:“NatureWorks is proud to continue its 10-year partnership with the Green Sports Alliance and support the creation of this important guide to compostable packaging and food waste diversion. When compostable biomaterial like Ingeo is used to divert food waste from landfills, we significantly reduce key drivers of climate change and produce valuable soil amendment that sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, protecting our ability to live, work, and play for future generations.” – Matt Romberger, Vice President of Sales and MarketingStatement from Penn State University:“With the help from our partners including the Green Sports Alliance and NatureWorks, implementing high-quality compostable products was critical in our achievement of a 100% waste diversion in the Beaver Stadium suite sections. We hope that schools across the globe can use our case study in this Playbook to begin implementing sustainable practices too.” – Judd Michael, Professor at Penn State UniversityAbout Green Sports Alliance:The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where people live and play. The GSA inspires professional sports leagues, sports governing bodies, colleges, teams, venues, their partners and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. Through its marquee event greening division, GSA delivers best-in-class sustainable productions to minimize environmental impacts and maximize community legacies, driving scalability and replications across the industry. Visit greensportsalliance.org for more information.About NatureWorks:NatureWorks is a global biotechnology company using plants to turn greenhouse gasses like CO2 into a portfolio of biomaterials we call Ingeo. We partner with companies around the world to transform Ingeo into a wide range of naturally advanced products like compostable coffee capsules, tea bags, and food serviceware as well as diapers, hygiene masks, appliances, and filament for 3D printing. Because Ingeo biomaterial is made from plants, it enables the decoupling of materials from non-renewable resources, and its carbon footprint is 70% smaller than petrochemical-based plastics. Visit natureworksllc.com for more information and subscribe to Ingeo News to see our latest products, research, collaborations, news, and events.

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Media Contact:Shay Strawser, Green Sports Alliance | shay@greensportsalliance.org | 717-557-1986