ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has partnered with Rubicon to recycle all the seats removed during the Philips Arena transformation project. The removed seats were taken to a nearby facility, where under Rubicon’s supervision, the recyclable material was separated from residual landfill material and then weighed, recycled and/or disposed of responsibly. The seat removal is part of the broader transformation of Philips Arena, which will be the second-largest arena renovation in NBA history. The project demonstrates the Hawks’ commitment to incorporating sustainable practices across their operations and working to help create a more circular economy.
The project, which took place from April 23-27, involved the removal of 12,500 seats from Philips Arena. Working with Rubicon, 64 tons of recyclable material was identified, or 265 tons of carbon emissions avoided*, which equates to the environmental impact of:
• The combined emissions of 57 passenger vehicles over one year
• The energy use of 29 homes for one year
• The wood from 6,900 trees
*Emissions calculated using the Environmental Protection Agency’s WARM Tool. Environmental impact calculated using EPA’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Equivalencies Calculator.
See a time-lapse video of the Philips Arena seat removal by clicking here.
“As a leader in our community, we felt it was our responsibility to remove seats and other materials in a way that values sustainability,” said Brett Stefansson, EVP and General Manager of Philips Arena. “Aligning with Rubicon, an industry leader in this space, underscores our commitment to keep Philips Arena a green facility.”
“We couldn’t be happier to partner with our hometown Hawks during their historic renovation,” said Nate Morris, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Rubicon. “Sorting and recycling the material removed during the Philips Arena transformation serves as a large-scale example of how the RUBICONMethod, which provides best practices for businesses of all sizes that are working to reduce their waste generation and keep valuable materials out of landfills, can be put into action.”
Introduced in March 2018, the RUBICONMethod is a universal tool for running a successful recycling and waste reduction program. Utilizing an easy-to-remember acronym, DIVERT (Determine-Initiate-Vocalize-Eliminate-Roll-out-Track), the RUBICONMethod builds upon the classic mantra—Reduce-Reuse-Recycle—by helping businesses focus on the ‘how’ associated with implementing waste reduction and recycling best practices.
Rubicon’s mission is to end waste. With its technology, data analytics, and solutions teams, Rubicon works to find new efficiencies and cost savings in every customer’s waste stream and to develop new and innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle materials.
The Hawks’ transformation of Philips Arena will rethink and rebuild the interior of the building from the roof-line to the baseline – and will include major changes to the current arena configuration, including removing the six-level wall of suites on the west side of the arena allowing for new amenities on every level of the building, installing a new state-of-the-art center-hung scoreboard and video displays, and revamping the concourses with 360-degree connectivity and a reimagined eating and drinking experience featuring new open food stalls and bars throughout.
About Rubicon
Rubicon is a technology company that provides waste, recycling, and smart city solutions to businesses and governments worldwide. It develops and deploys a full suite of cloud-based solutions to help its customers and network of independent waste haulers work towards more sustainable waste and recycling practices, uncover cost savings, and improve operations through data analytics. Using its proprietary technology platform, Rubicon helps its partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals, always with an eye towards those solutions that have long-term economic viability. The company has over 1,000,000 service locations worldwide, is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and has core teams in New York City and San Francisco. Rubicon is a Certified B Corporation and was named a Great Place to Work™ in 2018. Learn more at www.RubiconGlobal.com.
About Philips Arena
Home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Philips Arena hosts approximately 160 events and 1.6 million guests annually. With a capacity of more than 17,000 visitors, the venue, a 100% smoke-free campus, is consistently ranked among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world. Philips Arena is undergoing a nearly $200 million renovation that will re-imagine the building from the roofline to the baseline with better sightlines, massive video displays, the right-sized suite for every business, and great food and drink. For more information on Philips Arena, log on to www.philipsarena.com today or follow us on Twitter @PhilipsArena.
