Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena Announce Sustainability Milestone

In celebration of Earth Day, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena have announced that they have reached a new sustainability milestone by diverting more than 10 million pounds of waste from landfills since May 2021.

The venue recycled nearly four million pounds of aluminum, plastic, glass and cardboard, composted over three million pounds of food and organic material and repurposed nearly three million pounds of electronics, clothing and other items.

“We are honored to serve as a community asset, not only in sports and entertainment, but also in sustainability,” said Sofi Armenakian, head of sustainable strategy for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. “Ten million pounds is a huge number. This milestone is a testament to the power of collaboration — from our team members and partners to the fans who join us every event. Together, we’re proving that when a venue leads with purpose, meaningful environmental impact follows. We’re all part of the solution.”

Since May 2021, the venue has diverted a minimum of 90 percent of waste from landfills and in April 2022, the venue became the first sports venue in the world to receive TRUE Platinum certification for zero waste. The Hawks and State Farm Arena have also reduced waste by 651,209 pounds by eliminating paper tickets, individual condiment packets, disposable service ware and more.

“We are incredibly proud of to hit this 10-million-pound milestone,” said Andrew Saltzman, president of business enterprise and chief commercial officer for the Hawks and State Farm Arena. “Our success in sustainability is a credit to our partners who continue supporting our efforts, our employees who are driven to be leaders in the space and the fans who attend our events and appreciate the importance we place on taking care of the environment.”

The Hawks and State Farm Arena have built several sustainability partnerships in the community, including official aluminum recycling partner, Novelis, which sponsors the in-game segment ‘Recycle and Win,’ rewarding fans for correctly using the compost, recycle and trash bins.