MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – In recognition of the club’s industry-leading efforts in sustainability and environmental stewardship, the Minnesota Twins announced today that they have been awarded LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance – making Target Field the first Major League Baseball venue to receive the US Green Building Council’s highest possible honor via the new LEED v4.1 rating system.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable. The current version, LEED v4.1, is the most robust, flexible and transparent rating system ever.
Since opening Target Field in 2010, the Twins are the first and only Major League Baseball (MLB) club to achieve five separate LEED certifications: LEED Silver for New Construction (in 2010, the second MLB team thus honored); LEED Silver for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (in 2011, making the Twins the first professional sports franchise to earn Silver for both construction and operations); LEED Gold for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (in 2017, becoming the first organization in pro sports to attain Gold in this category); LEED Gold recertification (in 2019); and now LEED Platinum.
Target Field is also the nation’s first sports venue to earn three levels of LEED certification through Arc, the state-of-the-art digital platform that uses real-world data to help benchmark, measure and improve sustainability performance. Arc is the first of its kind to track progress through a performance score, enabling projects to make more informed decisions when it comes to sustainability.
“Our organization-wide commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship and social responsibility is more than a guidepost – it is a belief in the power of creating positive change that is engrained into the ethos of the Minnesota Twins,” said club President & CEO Dave St . Peter. “From the moment we began designing Target Field, we set out to create and maintain a world-class facility that, as the forever home of Twins baseball, would have a positive influence on our city, state and region. I am incredibly grateful to our dedicated employees, fans, and community and commercial partners for sharing our vision and contributing each and every day towards our continued efforts to ensure that Target Field remains the ‘Greenest Ballpark in America.'”
The Twins’ many environmental stewardship efforts include a custom-designed Rain Water Recycle System provided by Minneapolis-based Pentair, helping the organization capture, purify and reuse nearly 20 million total gallons of rainwater at Target Field to date; aggressive recycling and waste-to-energy programs in partnership with Ecolab, Marsden Services and Republic Services that have kept nearly 13,000 tons of waste out of local landfills since 2011 – including 4,190 tons of trash being sent to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) , 4,743 tons of waste being recycled and 3,796 tons of organic materials begin composted and diverted; a shared initiative with Delaware North Sportservice to partner with Rock and Wrap It UP!, Inc. to deliver more than 63 tons of food to local charities; LED fixtures for field and canopy lighting; and, a long-term partnership with Eco-Products to provide the ballpark’s compostable cups, plates, trays, utensils and straws.
“The Minnesota Twins’ fifth LEED certification at Target Field demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said Peter Templeton, interim president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. Target Field continues to be a prime example of how the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a global difference.”
About the US Green Building Council
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works towards its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on TwitterFacebook and LinkedIn.
TARGET FIELD – THE GREENEST BALLPARK IN AMERICA
Twins Sustainability Statement
The Minnesota Twins organization believes our future success – both on and off the field – is built on a business model that embraces operational efficiency, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. We honor the power of sport by leading through example, and we will continue to use sport to inspire, build the best fan experience and cause no unnecessary harm, working with our fans, community, suppliers, partners and employees to have a positive influence in the world.
In 2022, the Twins were awarded LEED Platinum certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance – making Target Field the first Major League Baseball facility to receive the US Green Building Council’s highest possible honor via the new LEED v4.1 rating system. Since opening Target Field in 2010, the Twins are first and only Major League Baseball (MLB) club to achieve five separate LEED certifications: LEED Silver for New Construction (in 2010, the second MLB team thus honored); LEED Silver for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (in 2011, making the Twins the first professional sports franchise to earn Silver for both construction and operations); LEED Gold for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (in 2017, becoming the first organization in pro sports to attain Gold in this category); LEED Gold recertification (in 2019); and now LEED Platinum. Target Field is also the nation’s first sports venue to earn three levels of LEED certification through Arc, the state-of-the-art digital platform that uses real-time data to help benchmark, measure and improve sustainability performance. Arc is the first of its kind to track progress through a performance score, enabling project teams to make more informed decisions when it comes to sustainability.
In recognition of the Minnesota Twins’ outstanding contributions to green building and sustainability in the sports industry, the US Green Building Council honored the organization with a 2019 Leadership Award. The Twins, heralded as a “model for sustainability in the sporting world,” were awarded for using green building and sustainable practices to improve quality of life for those around them.
Major League Baseball Green Glove Award
The Twins won the 2021 Green Glove award, given to the Major League Baseball club with the highest waste diversion rate during the previous year. During the 2021 season, the Twins saved nearly 99 percent of Target Field waste from landfills: 33.8 percent via composting, 34.4 percent via recycling and 31.1 percent via a waste-to-energy partnership with the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC).
Capturing and Reusing Rainwater
Through a custom-designed Rain Water Recycle System provided by Minneapolis-based Pentair, the Minnesota Twins have captured, purified and reused nearly 20 million total gallons of rainwater, drastically reducing the use of municipal water at Target Field. The majority of the recycled rainwater is used to wash down the seating bowl attached to the main concourse.
Recycling, Composting and Converting Waste to Energy
Through aggressive recycling and waste-to-energy programs, the Twins have kept nearly 13,000 tons of waste out of local landfills from 2011 to 2021: 4,190 tons of trash have been sent to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC); 4,743 tons of waste have been recycled from Target Field; and 3,796 tons of organic materials have been composted and diverted from landfills.
Donating Unused Food to Local Charities
The Minnesota Twins and concession partner Delaware North Sportservice donate more than 10 tons of food to local charities each season. Through a partnership with Rock and Wrap It Up!, Inc., all prepared but untouched meals at Target Field are boxed up and donated to local charities. To date, these efforts have kept more than 63 tons of waste out of local landfills.
Reducing Energy Use via LED Lighting
Originally installed between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the field lighting at Target Field was upgraded to LED technology. By initially reducing fixture count from 746 to approximately 512, while also using LED fixtures to illuminate the underside of the ballpark canopy, energy use was immediately reduced by approximately 55 percent; the Twins continue upgrading fixtures throughout the ballpark to LED technology each year.
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