Environment
Our Commitment to the Environment
ASM Global as the operator of Suncorp Stadium is committed to managing the Stadium in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way to reduce carbon emissions and to play an active role in supporting and enhancing the local community
ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES
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Environmental Responsibility – to ensure environmental considerations are given equal weight with Workplace Health and Safety
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Energy Conservation – optimise the use of equipment, lighting, and heating / cooling to reduce energy wastage, using energy efficient equipment and appliances where possible
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Water Conservation – to conserve water resources and minimise waste water disposal
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Harm Minimisation – to reduce or eliminate the use of harmful substances and minimise the use of pollutant products and processes
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Waste Minimisation – to reuse and recycle resources where possible to minimise waste to landfill
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Sustainable Purchasing – to ensure that our procurement processes take into account the social, economic and environmental impact that such purchases has on the natural environment, people and communities
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Innovation – to adopt alternative technologies and materials to minimise the impact of our business activities on the environment
SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
Suncorp Stadium engages its suppliers to ensure products meet sustainability objectives and specifications and at the same time, reduces the impact of purchases on the environment
The Stadium caterer:
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Sources produce from local growers and producers where possible
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Purchases organic produce where available and economical
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Plans menus around seasonality
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Plans menus with high proportions of fresh fruit and vegetables
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Maximises “nose to tail” with its meat purchases (using the whole animal)
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Avoids purchasing seafood products from over-fished or badly managed fisheries
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Where possible, cooks in large batches outside of peak hour electricity times
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Sources high energy efficient appliances where purchasing or renting new cooking equipment and drink fridges
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Ensures refrigeration equipment is located in the coolest part of the kitchen
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Turns off all fridges when not in use
WASTE GENERATED AT THE VENUE
Suncorp Stadium aims to minimise the total waste generated by catering operations and maximise diversion from landfill through recovery of waste resources by recycling or repurposing.
The following are main sources of waste at the Stadium:
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Food waste
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Glass bottles and other glassware
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Aluminium and other metal cans
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Cardboard
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Plastic bottles and packaging
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PET plastic cups
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Plastic wraps and bags
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Used cooking oils
RECYCLABLE PRODUCTS
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PET water and soft drink bottles
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Plastic cups
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Cardboard drink carriers
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PET packaging materials
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Waste oils
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Writing Instrument Recycling Program
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Batteries
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Laser print ink cartridges
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Paper
BANNED PRODUCTS
The following materials are banned and cannot be purchased at Suncorp Stadium:
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Polystyrene
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Composite containers (ie mixed plastics that cannot be recycled)
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Single use plastic straws
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Single use plastic cutlery
STADIUM INITIATIVES
Hydration Stations
The Stadium has developed and built hydration stations for use during the production of concerts for the refill of reusable water bottles, thereby eliminating single use plastic bottles for water consumption.
Organic Waste Stream
The Stadium manages its organic waste stream by diverting from landfill all organic materials generated on site. This includes all kitchen waste, green waste from the field of play and all other waste generated through our landscaping activities.
Co-mingled Recycling
The Stadium diverts 92% of all of its waste by volume away from landfill. Of this, 75% comprises of co-mingled recycled material in the form of food containers/packaging, PET 1 cups, glass bottles and all aluminium products.
Rain Water Harvesting
1.1million litre storage capacity within the stadium for use in field irrigation and stadium wash-down post event.
LED Lighting replacement projects
Sports lights / daily operational lighting – all to be replaced with LED with progressive inclusion of spaces into the Stadium Dyna-Light system to manage power consumption more efficiently.
Nespresso Bulk Recycling Programme
The Stadium places all Nespresso coffee pods in a recycling box that Nespresso supplies and collects as part as its sustainable recycling programme. The residual coffee is separated and sent to an industrial composting facility while the aluminium is recycled and used to create new products.
What we are investigating further:
Single use plastic cup shift towards Bio-Cup: replacing plastic cups within the Stadium to a compostable material that will be able to be managed through our organic waste stream and not through our co-mingled recycling stream. This will reduce a significant amount or PET from our waste stream
Alternative Energy Sources: Solar / Hydrogen
Water Conservation: Irrigation water recycling – return run-off from irrigation to the water storage tanks
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
In 2011, Suncorp Stadium underwent major reconstruction necessitated by extensive flooding damage to the facility. The repairs required a 16 million dollar investment which the ASM Global (then AEG Ogden) management team saw as an opportunity to integrate cutting edge sustainable products and technologies into Queensland’s premier sports venue.
A number of initiatives were implemented to mitigate against future flood damage including:
- The main switchboard room being elevated above the flood level so that it can continue to operate via generator power until mains power is reinstated to the building, meaning no future loss of power to the Stadium.
- The fire panel system also been raised above the flood level to ensure the Stadium continues to be connected to Brisbane’s Fire Services body and that fire alarms are monitored at all times.
- Flood resistant materials being used wherever practical, such as block walls and elevated and re-locatable fixtures and fittings.
The following environmentally-friendly initiatives were also included as part of the reconstruction:
- Low energy fluorescent lighting in the new dressing rooms areas
- Variable speed drives in the Stadium air-conditioning and ventilation systems
- Lighting sensors and dimmers
ENERGY & CLIMATE
Suncorp Stadium recognizes that certain human activities contribute to global climate change, which impacts public health and the environment. The best way for us to do our part is to reduce our overall energy demand through energy efficiency. Some of our energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives include:
- Conducted an energy audit to identify additional opportunities for energy saving projects
- Replacing incandescent bulbs in all corporate suites with energy efficient LED bulbs
- Use of the Building Management System to both program and monitor power usage in the facility.
- Additionally, meters and motion sensors were installed giving the venue greater transparency into energy use and ensuring lights are only on when spaces are occupied
- Establishing lighting policies with security and operations staff for locations in the Stadium with high energy consumption
- Adding window tinting for function rooms whose temperatures rise due to solar radiation. This reduces the need for energy intensive air conditioning when meetings are in session.
- The Stadium aims to help reduce the carbon emissions from fans commuting to events by promoting the use of public transport. One particular initiative allows patrons, by showing their event ticket, to travel free on rail and bus public transport services to and from games. This has resulted in on average 84% of all event patrons since 2003 catching public transport to events at the Stadium, meaning less people are coming to events via private vehicles.
WATER CONSERVATION
The Stadium is located in a region that experiences drought conditions and therefore water conversation is a major challenge. By adopting a number of water efficiency measures, the Stadium is ensuring it is not as reliant on city water supplies to undertake necessary irrigation and cleaning operations. Some of our water efficiency efforts include:
- Harvesting up to 1.1 million litres of rainwater from the 2.2 hectare roof which is stored in large on site tanks. The water can be used for post-event stadium washdowns and for plaza irrigation and beautification. About 50mm of rain is enough to fill all four tanks and provide the Stadium with enough water to irrigate the playing field for about 12 weeks!
- Installation of spring loaded, low-flow sink taps which allow only a certain quantity of water to flow for a brief period of time throughout the building
- Installed waterless urinals and dual flush toilet systems throughout the building
RECYCLING & WASTE DIVERSION
Solid waste generation is growing in volume and toxicity in most communities. The disposal of manufactured products that contain chemicals and metals into landfills causes pollution. We aim to minimize waste and divert as much as possible from landfill to recycling and other productive uses. In 2021 we were able to divert 94% by volume of our waste away from landfill including over 61,000 tonnes of organic waste.
Some of our waste reduction initiatives include:
- Use of various waste streams to divert away from landfill
- Installation of 180 recycling bins in public areas with informational signage on how to recycle specific items consumed at an event
- Partnering with the Queensland Government to pilot their “Do the Right Thing- Use the Right Bin” campaign at large sporting facilities. The pilot was a success and the Stadium continues to feature 30 second TVC’s featuring high profile athletes educating guests on how to participate in the recycling program
- Working with the concessionaire to ensure all food packaging, such as cups and beer trays, is recyclable or reusable.
SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING
The manufacture, use and disposal of the products we buy contribute to our environmental footprint. We are committed to making smart purchasing decisions and selecting environmentally preferable products whenever feasible. One success is the Stadium’s use of toilet paper and tissues which have been produced from renewable forestry products.
EDUCATION & OUTREACH
As Queensland’s premier sports venue, we have a unique opportunity to raise environmental awareness among our staff and guests. Internally, we educate full and part-time staff through induction and annual refresher training. Topics covered include the facility’s environmental efforts and their role in the program, in particular the effort to reduce energy consumed and increase recycling. In addition, Suncorp Stadium has initiated a Green Team made up of representatives from each department which meets quarterly to identify opportunities and initiatives to lessen the Stadium’s impact on the environment.
We also engage our staff and guests through annual environmental outreach events such as Earth Hour annually, subject to the staging of events, by switching off all non-essential lighting for the nominated hour.