Major League Baseball (MLB) has partnered with WM, a leading environmental services provider, with the latter becoming the league’s official sustainability partner.
The agreement marks the first sustainability-focused partnership in the league’s history, aiming to amplify MLB’s ongoing sustainability initiatives within ballparks and across communities.
Noah Garden, Deputy Commissioner, Business & Media at MLB, said: “As with any event driven industry that prioritises sustainability at our facilities and in our communities, it is critical that we partner with organisations that share similar values in that space.
“This new partnership with WM takes our sustainability efforts to new heights. We look forward to continuing this work with WM as we host best-in-class events that are sustainability-focused driven for years to come.”
Under the agreement, WM will provide sustainability advisory services to MLB clubs. Teams will be offered end-to-end solutions to assist them in reaching their sustainability objectives, such as waste reduction and diversion, greenhouse gas emissions management and more.
Furthermore, WM will support MLB Green Teams during MLB All-Star Week, the World Series Finals and other special events, extending its support to the league’s office and its facilities.
This collaboration aligns with MLB’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, recognised by prestigious organisations like the Green Sports Alliance and Council for Responsible Sport.
MLB was recently awarded the highest honour, ‘Evergreen Status,’ by the Council for Responsible Sport for its sustainability initiatives during the 2023 MLB All-Star Week.
Across the sports landscape, organisations are increasingly prioritising sustainability goals. Formula 1 recently released a comprehensive report outlining its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing sustainability across their operations.
Meanwhile, Premier League football club Manchester City is leading by example with plans for a significant transformation, as it is set to install 10,887 solar panels to completely offset its training ground’s annual energy usage.
Tara Hemmer, Chief Sustainability Officer at WM, commented: “WM has a more than 20-year history for its advisory services team, providing sustainability solutions for a variety of customers of all sizes and industries.
“Our expertise has helped us triple the number of customers in the sports space since 2021 – including leagues, events, teams and venues – and we look forward to the incredible opportunity to build comprehensive and custom plans designed to improve sustainable operations for MLB and its clubs.”
