Operator Success Story: Target Field

Target Field is a Major League Baseball stadium in downtown Minneapolis, with 81 home games per year and a capacity of nearly 40,000 seats.

• During the 2021 season, 33.8 percent of waste produced at Target Field was compostable; since 2011, the Twins have composted 3,796 tons of organic materials. Another 33.4 percent was recycled–bringing the running 11-year total to 4,743 tons–while 0.8 percent was unused, untouched food from back of house operations that, via partnership with Delaware North and Rock and Wrap It Up! Inc., was donated to local charities.
• The remaining 31.1 percent was non-compostable and non-recyclable trash that the Twins sent to the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC, located a stone’s throw from the ballpark), adding to the 4,190 tons of Target Field waste delivered to the HERC since 2011.
• Once at the HERC, the ballpark’s waste is added to trash collected throughout Hennepin County, with 90 percent of this accumulation then processed in a manner that creates high-pressure steam; this steam generates enough electricity to power 25,000 homes, with a portion piped to 100 downtown buildings, including Target Field, for heating and cooling needs.
• These efforts led to a total diversion rate of over 99%, and helped the Twins win MLB’s 2021 Green Glove award, becoming the first team other than San Francisco or Seattle to win the award.