Environmental Leader

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a new green initiative dubbed Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green.

Elements of the plan include a recycling program at PNC Park that will capture the more than 760,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans that are distributed during the baseball season. The club will place 180 recyclable containers, including 90 contour bottle-shaped receptacles, throughout the ballpark with the program’s logo. “Green Team” cleaning crews will conduct a sweep of the ballpark to pick up all remaining recyclable goods.

Beginning with the 2008 season, both of PNC Park’s concessionaires, Aramark and Levy Restaurants, will be using corn-based beverage cups. The companies will also eliminate most of the non-biodegradable materials they’ve used in utensils, plates, napkins and food carriers.

All paper used in the ballpark will be more environmentally friendly. Steps are also being taken to make the ballpark more energy efficient by installing motion detectors in 86 specific locations, using the lowest voltage lights possible in ballpark signage and switching to more energy efficient bulbs moving forward.