The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena have successfully diverted more than 3 million pounds of waste from landfills during its 2023 slate of basketball games, concerts and ancillary events. As part of this sum, the Downtown Atlanta venue recycled nearly one million pounds of materials (aluminum, cardboard, plastics, glass, etc.) and composted nearly one million pounds of food and organic material.
In April 2022, State Farm Arena became the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE Platinum certification. Achieving zero waste certification means diverting more than 90 percent of all waste from landfills and continuing to operate in a sustainable manner.
“We would like to thank everyone who has attended an event at State Farm Arena and our partners for their collaboration and support. Because of you we diverted over 3 million pounds of materials from the landfills in 2023. These materials are valuable resources and need to remain part of a circular system, like aluminum which is infinitely recyclable or cardboard that can be upcycled 5-7 times,” said Hawks and State Farm Arena Head of Sustainability Sofi Armenakian in a press release. “We recognize that every action contributes to a more environmentally conscious and responsible future for our city and beyond and are so proud of accomplishing this new milestone within the sports and live entertainment industry.”