Precertified: Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Location: 
Atlanta, Georgia
Certification level: 
Precertified
Percent of Overall Diversion Achieved: 
N/A
Facility Size: 
1,900,946 sq. ft.
Type of Operation: 
Professional Sports Stadium
Project Overview: 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium achieved TRUE Platinum certification! Check out the certification profile here.

Opened in August 2017, Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a world-class sports and entertainment venue in downtown Atlanta and home to the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United. The multi-purpose stadium was named the 2019 Sports Facility of the Year and is host to major sports and entertainment events, including the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, the 2018 MLS Cup, Super Bowl LIII and was just named a host location for FIFA World Cup 2026. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the first professional sports stadium in North America to achieve LEED Platinum Certification and the first stadium worldwide to earn TRUE Precertification for Zero Waste by Green Business Certification Inc.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium implements a variety of sustainable practices and programs which contribute to the facility’s journey to zero waste everyday – both during events and in the building’s administrative offices – including:

- Leveraging a 6,000 square-foot resource recovery room (R3) within the facility to reclaim, sort, and divert materials coming out of the facility from the landfill.
- Changing their supply chain to include materials that are recyclable or compostable rather than single use materials.
- Implementing sustainability education and engagement programs for fans, associates and the stadium’s food and beverage partners.
- Redesigning stadium suites to incorporate recycling and compost bins into all suites by August 2022.

As part of the certification process, Mercedes-Benz Stadium will continue to refine and implement these processes as well as further investigate additional strategies to ensure that the building continues to operate as a zero-waste facility.

“We are excited to announce that we have earned TRUE precertification, which is a major milestone on our journey to becoming a fully certified zero waste facility,” said Mercedes-Benz Stadium Chief Operating Officer Dietmar Exler. “Since construction, Mercedes-Benz Stadium has been committed to creating a sustainable environment both in and around the stadium to reduce our overall environmental footprint, this is just the next step in our overall journey.”

“We set out to build a venue that would not only exceed expectations, but also push the limits of what was possible in terms of stadium design, fan experience, and sustainability,” affirmed Arthur Blank, Owner and Chairman of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Images courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Stadium