True to Atlanta: State Farm earns TRUE Certification for zero waste

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Hawks moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals was not their only win during the playoffs. State Farm Arena also earned TRUE, or Total Resource Use and Efficiency, Certification during Game 4 of the playoff series against the New York Knicks.

"We were very excited and honored to be the first sporting event in the world to be certified by [Green Business Certification, Inc.] as a zero-waste event," said Sofi Armenakian, director of sustainability for the Hawks and State Farm Arena.

In order to qualify for that distinction, the arena had to adopt a "zero waste" policy and divert at least 90% of waste generated during the event away from the landfill.

"I don't even think of it as garbage.  I think of it as a resource.  It's all about how we think and talk about things," said Armenakian.  "And there's a lot of pride in knowing the difference we're making and it's so much more than just trash."

State Farm Arena now has about a hundred "zero waste stations" placed throughout the venue to help fans sort between compostable material, recyclable material and landfill items.  Volunteers with the "zero waste squad" guide people on where they should place each type of material.

"We have the recycle. We have the landfill and we have the compost and it's just trying to put a spotlight on what we're trying to do because the Hawks is the first NBA team to go green," said volunteer Yimeka Robbins.  

The arena now uses compostable cups and utensils to aid in its mission.

"Being a busy venue, you generate so much, so being able to responsibly divert that is what being true to our community is all about," Armenakian explained.

Going forward all events held at State Farm Arena will follow their zero-waste policy.  

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