Super Bowl XXXV Tackles Environmental Principles

Many large events leave quite a mess behind. But the National Football League says the Super Bowl is different. Each year, the National Football League works with local individuals and organizations to find ways to leave the host community in even better shape than they found it.

One of the ways the NFL does this is through its annual Environmental Program — a series of local projects designed to outlast the Super Bowl and, wherever possible, become permanent benefits to the community.

This year, the National Football League has developed five community projects under the umbrella of the Environmental Program. These projects include solid waste reduction and recycling, collection and distribution of extra food from Super Bowl events, donation of all decorative materials — more than five miles of fabric — for local reuse, a “litter free” public education campaign, and a unique sports equipment recycling initiative to benefit local youth programs.

All the projects use existing community resources to address local issues. Because of this, the potential exists for these projects to continue long after Super Bowl XXXV moves from the playing field to the record books.

Hundreds of local volunteers, coordinated by the Lowry Park Zoo and the Divine Providence Food Bank, are involved. Several thousand school children, their teachers and administrators, are involved in the sports equipment recycling project. More than two dozen other local organizations are also participating in these initiatives.

Special recycling boxes, donated by International Paper and carrying the Super Bowl XXXV logo, will be used at most NFL sponsored Super Bowl events.

The Super Bowl this year pits the New York Giants against the Baltimore Ravens.