Target Field Among Leaders In Composting And Recycling; Asking Fans To Pitch In
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Twins will kick off their season Monday, and what's a ballgame without a hot dog and some beer?
All that trash can add up, unless you're at Target Field where all those tossed cups, plates and silverware are recycled, and now the team is thanking its fans.
The beer, hot dogs, and countless options for food at Target Field are a must have for many fans. With the Twins' eco-friendly, food-serving products, they turned tons of trash into fertile soil last year. It's big step, and going green is clearly something they're proud of.
Gary Glawe Sr. Director of facilities
"I don't think we tout it enough really," Twins senior director of facilities Gary Glawe said. "It's just a day-to-day thing for us, and it's a standard, it's how we operate. But it is disappointing when you go out into the community and see other places that don't take the steps that we do. It really kind of drives the point home that we're doing the right thing."
This season is about doing more of the right thing -- the team is hoping to beat last years' trash to compost yield, and that's where the fans come into play.
"We need the fans engagement to pay attention to where you're throwing your items," Glawe said.
While it might be surprising, the stadium's cups do not belong in the recycling bin -- they're actually compostable. Stadium officials are asking fans to make sure their trash is going in the right place. That goes for coffee cups, plates, trays, soup cups, lids, straws and silverware as well.
Glawe says he hopes that informing more fans will not only help make Target Field green, but also set an example for others.
"As far as Major League Baseball goes, we are among the leaders in that, and the more we can do the more the more everybody else gets engaged as well," he said.
The cups, silverware and straws are not made out of plastic -- they're actually made out of corn resin, which is biodegradable. There are some exceptions to the plastic ban, such as plastic Pepsi bottles, aluminum beer cans and, of course, the souvenir-style cups and ice cream helmets.
This Monday, the Twins host the Kansas City Royals for Opening Day. Fans who stop by the ballpark from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on Monday will be treated to a free breakfast on the plaza. The first pitch is at 3:10 p.m. Rapper Dessa will sing the National Anthem accompanied by the Minnesota Orchestra.
