Posted by Tess Kazdin, Digital Editor – Waste Today
Published October 1, 2025
Texas Disposal Systems (TDS), a Creedmoor, Texas-based solid waste collection company and the official waste and recycling partner for Austin FC, has announced the successful achievement of a zero-waste initiative at Q2 Stadium during the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star Skills Challenge and MLS All-Star Game.
In collaboration with Austin FC, MLS and environmental consulting partner Okapi Environmental Services (OES), Q2 Stadium was able to achieve a 94 percent waste diversion rate from both the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T on July 22, 2025, and the MLS All-Star Game on July 23, 2025.
TDS says attendees at both games properly sorted their waste into the correct waste sorting eco stations, following signage and engaging with TDS Trash Goalies.
“Achieving a 94 percent diversion rate during MLS All-Star Skills Challenge and the MLS All-Star Game is a testament to the commitment of our fans, volunteers and operations team,” says Nick Otte, vice president of stadium operations at Austin FC. “With the support of TDS and Okapi Environmental Services, Q2 Stadium continues to set the standard for sustainability in Major League Soccer.”
Representatives from other local organizations and businesses including Austin ISD and YETI partnered with TDS and OES to serve as Trash Goalies, which are volunteer zero waste ambassadors.
The success of this initiative was the result of year-long planning with the Q2 Stadium Operations team, TDS says. OES partnered with stadium personnel to ensure sustainability was fully integrated into the infrastructure and operational blueprint of the event.
According to TDS, a detailed sustainable materials strategy also was a key contributor to the success. Every item entering the stadium was evaluated for its full end-of-life outcome, whether it could be reused, donated, recycled or composted, minimizing landfill dependency.
“This achievement is the result of meticulous planning, strong partnerships and a shared commitment to environmental responsibility,” says Rick Fraumann, vice president of sales and growth at TDS. “We believe zero waste is not just a goal, but a standard that can be met when innovation meets collaboration.”
The zero-waste mission was promoted in advance through the communications arms of both MLS and Austin FC, helping to amplify the mission and set expectations around sustainability from the outset.
Behind the scenes, OES helped track and verify waste volumes throughout the event. TDS says OES’ real-time data collection and postevent reporting, via the EcoVisor dashboard, ensured accuracy in diversion measurement and provided insights into fan behavior and material flow.
Since 2020, sustainability has been a shared goal between TDS and the Q2 Stadium team.
In 2024, TDS and OES helped Q2 Stadium become the world’s first soccer-specific stadium to earn Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) Certification. The stadium was awarded the TRUE Gold, meaning the stadium consistently diverted more than 90 percent of its waste from landfill.
