Oriole Park, home to MLB’s Baltimore Orioles, has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification following a multi-year effort to make the ballpark more environmentally friendly and more sustainable.
The accolade from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) makes Oriole Park the first existing Major League Baseball stadium to be given the LEED gold standard and sees it join Marlins Park, which was awarded LEED gold for new construction, as the only two ballparks in the league to hold the distinction.
As part of its ‘Orioles Go Green’ program, the facility has introduced year-round sustainable initiatives, activities and practices including waste management, recycling 850,000 lb of material in 2017, the use of paperless tickets, and reduced energy and electrical consumption.
Also contributing to the certification is the installment of more energy-efficient LED lighting, which reduces energy consumption by 54% compared to previous lighting.
Elsewhere the club has implemented the use of eco cleaning products throughout the stadium, more sustainable food options, the creation of a native plant garden and the encouragement to use alternative transportation options such as walking, cycling or mass public transportation to attend games.
“As the Orioles organization celebrates Earth Day this year, we are proud to join with the State of Maryland and Maryland Stadium Authority in announcing that Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been named the first existing building in Major League Baseball to receive the rarely-conferred LEED Gold certification,” said John Angelos, Orioles executive vice president.
“Through our many programs supporting Save the Bay, World Environment Day, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, wellness and yoga events, the Oriole Garden at Camden Yards in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, and our Eat-Train-Live Like the Pro’s Health & Fitness Challenge, the Orioles organization will continue to prioritize protecting human health, plant-based and organic food sources, and the environment that the next generation will inherit.”
April 18, 2018
