Executive Summary
Energizer Park, a 495,000 sq. ft. stadium recently built in downtown St. Louis, is a national leader in sustainable venue management. Home to STL CITY and STL CITY2 soccer teams, the venue prioritizes sustainability through their comprehensive zero-waste initiative, energy-efficient operations, and community engagement. Their goal is achieving zero-waste, reducing waste from landfills by using recycling, composting, and waste reduction strategies. The use of dashboard tracking allows them to monitor waste, recycling, and composting performance, guiding operational decisions and ensuring transparency.
Achieving LEED Gold Certification, with the help of Honeycomb Strategies, Energizer Park’s sustainability efforts extend past their waste program. In the 2025 season they plan to power all MLS matches with renewable energy through the purchase of renewable energy certificates. They also practice sustainable procurement with over half of consumables sourced sustainably and more than half of cleaning equipment meeting green standards. These efforts improve air quality, enhance safety, and meet the high expectations of VIPs and suite holders. In 2024, the venue achieved a 90.3% waste diversion rate on match days, moving toward their zero-waste target. Their sustainable purchasing guidelines ensure consistency across operations, while collaboration with local vendors supports community-based economies and reduces food miles.
Energizer Park’s blend of environmental responsibility and luxury hospitality sets a new standard in the sports venue industry, demonstrating that sustainability and premium guest experience can coexist seamlessly.
Submitting Organization: Honeycomb Strategies
Detailed Nomination
Energizer Park, recently built in 2022, is a 495,000 sq. ft., 22,423-seat soccer-specific stadium in downtown West St. Louis, Missouri, is home to both STL CITY and STL CITY2 soccer teams. The venue has positioned themselves throughout the past year as a national leader in sustainable venue management with a comprehensive zero-waste initiative, energy-efficient operations, and strong community engagement. Aiming to be a zero-waste facility, they strive to keep their waste from landfills through recycling, composting, and waste reduction strategies. Energizer Park integrates sustainability as a core value—not just behind the scenes, but throughout the guest experience. These efforts exemplify a forward-thinking model in premium hospitality.
Innovation & Impact
What sets Energizer Park apart is their robust zero-waste initiative, coupled with a commitment to transparency and technology. The venue works with Honeycomb Strategies, a sustainability consulting group, to utilize a custom HIVE Dashboard which provides real-time tracking of waste, recycling, and compost performance as well as energy, water, and carbon emissions. This tool supports operational decisions, identifies key trends, and holds teams accountable for ongoing progress.
To support their zero-waste goals, Energizer Park has introduced multiple new waste streams, including e-waste, aluminum, food donations and compostables, strategically located throughout the venue with signage to guide guests. Features like their open-air construction enhance air circulation and overall guest well-being while reducing the need for artificial ventilation. In addition to this, Energizer Park has made a commitment for the 2025 season to have all MLS games be powered by renewable energy, this is supported through their purchase of renewable energy certificates that will amount to 15% of their total energy usage for 2025. This renewable energy is Certified Green-e Energy.
The venue has a dedicated Green Team that works on all venue initiatives as well as educating and reinforcing green behaviors during events. The venue’s approach also extends to sustainable procurement, with over 50% of ongoing consumables sourced sustainably, including products such as compostable materials at all food and beverage areas, renewable materials, Forest Stewardship Council certified paper products, and over 50% of cleaning equipment meeting green standards. The stadium also works with 25 local food vendors to give guests a taste of the local community. This partnership drove over $3.5 million in revenue for their food partners in 2023. Working with restaurants and community partners encourages local sourcing to reduce food waste and allows for the venue to divert food donations to area food banks. These choices not only reduce environmental harm but elevate the premium experience by improving air quality and safety—aligned with the expectations of suite holders and VIPs.
Results & Success Metrics
All this work led the stadium to achieving LEED Gold Certification in March 2025. This certification affirms their excellence in sustainable operations and maintenance. Through meticulous planning, cross-functional collaboration, and strong guest engagement, Energizer Park has also achieved a 90.3% waste diversion rate on game days and a 64% waste diversion rate venue wide in 2024, up from their diversion rate of about 40% in 2023—a major step toward their zero-waste target. These gains are directly attributed to the implementation of innovative sorting systems, data tracking via the HIVE Dashboard, and policy-driven accountability.
Additionally, Energizer Park has introduced a formal suite of environmental policies and purchasing guidelines that ensure consistency, compliance, and forward momentum across departments. Created with the help of Honeycomb Strategies, these policies include standards for green cleaning, product selection, and sustainable food and beverage operations.
Industry Influence
As a leader in sustainable sports venue management, Energizer Park offers a high-impact model for other premium venues across the country. Their success lies not only in performance metrics but in their ability to engage fans, vendors, and partners in the journey. A key example is the venue’s collaboration with local food vendors, which supports community-based economies, reduces food miles, and delivers a sense of place that premium guests deeply value.
By combining environmental strategy with premium guest experience, Energizer Park is redefining what modern luxury hospitality looks like—where comfort, quality, and sustainability intersect. The venue’s leadership in energy efficiency, waste reduction, and data transparency sets a new standard within the industry for innovation and operational excellence.
