Another green initiative for the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, as the team unveiled D-backs Greens, a vertical urban garden on the northwest wall of the ballpark, just outside the main gates.
D-backs Greens will contain nearly 200 assorted herbs, including sweet basil, chives, garlic chives, lavender, oregano, rosemary and more that will change seasonally. The garden was designed and created by a local company, Flower Street Urban Gardens, and features 180-square feet of vertically-hanging planting space. With the support of UnitedHealthcare, the D-backs will use D-backs Greens as an educational tool to teach fans about sustainability efforts and encourage healthy eating. As part of the D-backs’ sustainability efforts, the team will utilize compost produced in part from organic material collected from ballpark kitchens to enrich and enhance the soil in the garden.
According to the team, sustainability efforts and already this season have diverted more than 18 tons of organic material from the waste stream through a new organics collection program. Through 48 home games this season, the D-backs and Levy Restaurants have also donated more than six tons of unused concessions food to Church on the Street, which equates to roughly 10,000 individual meals that help people in need in the Phoenix community.
Heading into the 2017 season, the D-backs had taken great strides to make Chase Field and D-backs games a more environmentally friendly experience for fans, including:
- In partnership with Waste Management, the D-backs added 200 dual recycling bins throughout all concourses; each bin is made with 1,300 recycled milk jugs
- Replaced paper towel dispensers with 50 high-efficiency hand dryers in concourse restrooms, which will reduce over 1,000 miles of paper towels from the annual waste stream
- Retrofitted 425 toilets and 260 urinals with low-flow flush valves, reducing water usage in these areas by 50%
- In partnership with Levy Restaurants and Waste Management, the D-backs launched a compost program to collect organics from ballpark kitchens and other areas of the ballpark
RELATED STORIES: New Sculpture on Tap at Chase Field