On game days at Arrowhead Stadium you may have noticed the blue bags, the red Bud Light bins, or a number of other ways that make it easy for fans to recycle. Throughout the season the Chiefs encourage fans to participate in the recycling programs during tailgates, in the stadium and post-game. This year, the Chiefs are taking another step towards promoting environmental responsibility through the Extra Yard for the Environment program.
The initiative is designed to devise and implement new green policies for the Chiefs while raising awareness for green efforts at Arrowhead Stadium, The University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex, and for fans at home.
"Becoming a more environmentally-conscious organization has been and continues to be a long-term goal for us," Chiefs President Mark Donovan said. "We want to be a positive example for recycling and sustainability efforts in the community. The Extra Yard for the Environment program and this recycling drive ensure that we are well on our way to having a positive environmental impact in Kansas City and throughout the region."
Two years ago the Chiefs began implementing and tracking sustainability efforts. This initiative is another way to promote recycling in the Chiefs Kingdom.
"In the last two years, the Chiefs have worked at reducing the amount of waste being sent to local landfills," Brandon Hamilton, Chiefs Director of Facilities explained. "This diversion rate went from 11% in 2010 to 44% in 2012. We are excited about the results so far and are committed to continue to increase our diversion rate."
To kick off the initiative the Chiefs are hosting a community-wide recycling drive at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, April 20th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will serve as a kickoff for Earth Day which is Monday, April 22nd.
"The Chiefs will host a recycling drive this Saturday in celebration of Earth Day and the launching of the Extra Yard for the Environment," Hamilton commented. "The recycling drive will consist of eight recycling allies working together to provide Chiefs fans a chance to spring clean and do it in an environmentally responsible manner."
A number of local vendors will be on hand Saturday morning for the event to help facilitate the most encompassing one-stop recycling opportunity for the Kansas City community.
The vendors participating this year include Vintage Tech Recyclers, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Goodwill, Harvesters, Langley Recycling, Missouri Organic, Allied Waste, US EPA, and Aramark.
Chiefs fans are encouraged to bring their unwanted household goods, clothing, electronics, plastics, and scape metals to the Recycle Drive. These materials will be reused or recycled by responsible corporate citizens and not-for-profit charitable organizations.
The full list of accepted items are as follows:
1. Vintage Tech Recyclers
• Computers, laptops, monitors, LCDs, cell phones, printers, scanners, modems, CD drives, cables, keyboards, mice, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, cameras, game players and joysticks, telephones, pagers, answering machines, typewriters, calculators, adding machines, fax machines, copiers. Note – there is a $15 charge for tube televisions and a $25 charge for DLP and wooden console televisions.
2. Goodwill
• Clothing, accessories, books, footwear, toys, linens, house wares (all in good used condition).
3. Allied Waste Services
• Milk and juice cartons; plastic containers (#1-#7, no motor oil, insecticide, herbicide or hazardous chemical containers; no plastic grocery bags, no plastic film, no plastic sheets, tarps or wrap; no glass, no glass bottles or jars); newspapers (including inserts), cardboard (no waxed cardboard); brown paper bags; magazines and catalogs; office, computer and notebook paper (no metal clips, spirals or binders); chipboard (cereal, cake and food mix boxes, gift boxes); carrier stock (cardboard carrying cases); mail, junk mail and envelopes (no plastic cards, sticks, labels or unused stamps); paperback books (no hard cover books).
4. Langley Recycling, Inc.
• Scrap steel, aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel and lead, including, but not limited to appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves); cast iron bath tubs and steam radiators; kitchen sinks; lawn mowers with fluids drained; sheet metal; cable, fencing and wire; car parts; aluminum cans; metal window and door frames with glass removed; aluminum guttering and siding; plumbing fixtures; radiators; old air conditioning units; household wiring; electric motors; barbecue grills. Cannot accept sealed containers, paint cans, propane tanks, computer monitors, aerosol cans, oxygen tanks, batteries of any kind.
5. Habitat for Humanity Kansas City ReStore
• Lumber (6 feet or longer); sheet goods (1/4 sheet or more); roofing; brick; block; fasteners; fencing; door locks; door knobs; door hinges; new insulation in original packaging; trim, molding, millwork 6 feet or longer with no nails or screws; siding (new vinyl or metal uncut, wood 6 feet or longer, at least ½ sheet for full pieces; tile (new full pieces), shutters; wall paper; windows, window treatments (blinds, shades and treatments in new or like-new condition, no vertical blinds); landscaping supplies; area rugs (10 feet by 10 feet or larger, no carpet), hardwood flooring 2 feet or longer; laminate, parquet, new sheet vinyl, new vinyl tile; gently used solid wood and metal furniture (no sleeper sofas); select upholstered items with no rips, tears or stains; kitchen sinks with faucets; appliances; cabinets; counter tops; lights (no florescent lights or light bulbs); ceiling fans; new conduit 4 feet sections or longer; wire (new or used, any gage type or length); toilets, bathtubs, sinks, showers, hand tool and hand-held power tools.
6. Harvesters
• Non-perishable food items, excluding glass containers. Fans who donate items to Harvesters will be eligible to receive a discount in the Kansas City Chiefs Team Store. For 10 items donated to Harvesters, fans will receive 10% off their purchase in the team store. For individuals who donate 20 or more items to Harvesters, they will receive 20% off a purchase in the Team Store. Additional terms may apply.
7. Missouri Organic (Informational Only)
• Missouri Organic has become an integral part of waste diversion for the Kansas City Chiefs. Missouri Organic recycles food waste into compost to be used as a soil amendment for landscape, lawns, and gardens. As a result of this recycling, they divert more than 20,000 tons per year of organic waste from going to the landfill.
8. United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 (Informational Only)
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 office is a proud supporter of the Kansas City Chiefs recycling efforts. The EPA works to raise public awareness on how doing simple things like recycling used goods and reducing food waste can help combat climate change.
In addition to the vendors that will be collecting on-site, there will be representatives from Chiefs Extra Yard for the Environment to share information and answer questions about recycling efforts. In addition, Aramark will be on site with concessions and merchandise.
For more information on the recycling event, including maps and diagrams, as well as more information about Chiefs Extra Yard for the Environment and participating community recycling allies, please visit www.kcchiefs.com/recycle.
