It’s Earth Day 2024, and White Sox fans are invited to join in commemorating this worldwide movement dedicated to the environment! The organization takes pride in showcasing its ongoing commitment to sustainable ballpark operations.
This year, in collaboration with Our Roots Chicago, a community-driven, data-informed project to equitably create tree canopies across the city, Hall of Fame great Harold Baines and White Sox players Jordan Leasure and Korey Lee joined Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to plant a ceremonial tree and nearly two dozen trees throughout Armour Square Park and the Bridgeport community. The White Sox joined Our Roots Chicago as ambassadors for the effort to help carry out the bold Climate Action Plan of planting 75,000 trees in all neighborhoods of Chicago.
The below infographics highlight even more key green initiatives at Guaranteed Rate Field, including efforts to mitigate food waste, continue eco-conscious F&B operations and provide year-over-year energy savings.
Food waste is a challenge the White Sox are determined to tackle head-on. In consecutive seasons, the organization’s concessions partners, Delaware North and Levy Restaurants, have joined forces with Collective Resource Compost (CNC), a woman-owned compost food and scrap service, to divert 12,000+ pounds of food from landfills.
Fans are doing their part as well, even if they might not know it. Concessions partners offer reusable aluminum cups, biodegradable utensils and even some specialty cocktails that give back to sustainability efforts like The Bee Cause Project.
The White Sox continue to combat pollution caused by electronic waste. In 2023 alone, the organization recycled over two tons of electronics, providing materials for the production of new goods and contributing to a recycled total of six tons over the past four seasons.
Looking for additional ways to get involved with White Sox sustainability efforts? Consider exploring upcoming Earth Month Volunteer Corps events with help from our partners at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois:
· In collaboration with the Alliance of the Great Lakes, volunteers will meet at 57th Street Beach today to participate in the Adopt a Beach program. The group will clean the beach and collect crucial data, aiding the Alliance’s efforts to develop a comprehensive understanding of coastal litter across the Great Lakes region.
· On Tuesday, April 23, volunteers will participate in a clean-up of Lawrence Hall’s Serenity Garden, located at their North Campus.
· Joining forces with the Calumet Area Industrial Commission at the Roseland Community Garden on Friday, April 26, volunteers will plant flowers and trim tulips, while collecting trash in the garden’s surrounding area.
Learn more and register for these service events at whitesox.com/volunteercorps.
Swinging for Sustainability: Chicago White Sox Celebrate Earth Day 2024 was originally published in Inside the White Sox on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.