Waste Diversion Is A Team Sport: How Austin FC and Texas Disposal Systems Prioritize Sustainability and Diversion at Austin FC Matches
The Partnership
Together, TDS and Austin FC are working toward greater sustainability and a noticeably different, noticeably better gameday experience. As the Official Waste and Recycling Partner of Austin FC, TDS helped create educational signage for 72 Eco Stations throughout Q2 Stadium, each with segmented compartments to collect trash, compost and recyclable materials. TDS also served as a sustainability consultant for Austin FC vendor relationships and match-day processes. In addition to providing plentiful waste receptacles, winning over fan support was critical to creating an effective waste diversion strategy. TDS worked with Austin FC to introduce an educational component that would impact fans’ waste disposal behaviors. During key matches, TDS staffed Q2 Stadium with “Trash Goalies” who shared information on which items were appropriate for the trash, compost and recycle sections of the Eco Stations.
The Results
In the first year alone, Austin FC achieved an impressive 70 percent diversion rate and in their second year, the Club reached a 75 percent diversion rate. Several second-year matches crossed the 80 percent threshold and one match reached 94 percent waste diversion. Following TDS’ guidance, Austin FC continues to implement additional sustainability measures with their vendors and supply chain. Austin FC credits TDS for building a collaborative sustainability-focused mindset into the Austin FC and Q2 Stadium culture. “We were able to drive sustainable behavior right from the beginning and having the support from TDS was crucial in building that,” said Nick Otte, Senior Director of Stadium Operations at Austin FC.
