Greenlight on Sustainability

April 17, 2019

Today was the second in our Greenlight on Sustainability series to feature the winners from the 2018 E3 Awards. Featuring Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Roadie.

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Today was the second in our Greenlight on Sustainability series to feature the winners from the 2018 E3 Awards. Scott Jenkins, General Manager, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Built Environment Award Winner) and Marc Gorlin, Founder & CEO, Roadie (Moving the Needle Award Winner) spoke on a panel moderated by Denise Quarles, Chief City Executive, Siemens. 

The event was kicked off by the debut of the more in-depth videos. 

The conversation started with discussing how sustainability was part of these two projects from the very beginning. Roadie's sustainability is baked directly into the idea, of utilizing the capacity of cars already on the road to deliver goods without creating new trips. And sustainability was on the mind from the very beginning of planning for Mercedes-Benz Stadium allowing it to acheive LEED Platinum certification. 

Once we completed the building, we had a responsibility to keep running it sustainably. – Scott Jenkins

LEED Certification is just the beginning for MBS, they continue to run the stadium in a way that includes education on recycling and amplification of that message. Some examples include funding a 2nd Habitat for Humanity house on the West Side by recycling aluminum and recyling 67 tons of plastic to create 10,000 jackets for Super Bowl volunteers. The stadium utilizes their sphere of influence as an iconic building in the city, but also amplified by the millions who see it on television to spread the message of recycling, renewable energy, access to transit and more. Scott shared a specific anecdote about the experience of sourcing and purchasing draping and decor for the Super Bowl and how they leveraged their ability to drive market change by asking for recycled fabrics. 

Marc Gorlin shared many stories about the utility and sustainability of their service, including corporate partnerships with large brands such as Delta Air Lines and Walmart. They are delivering bags for airlines in 70 airports across the country, using on-the-way delivery to reunite lost bags with their owners without putting new trucks or vans on the road. 

There's no faster or more sustainable way to get a bag to someone than when it's on the way. – Marc Gorlin

 Extra benefits of utilizing Roadie reduces the amount of packing, packaging and processing that items must go through to get to their destination. Their partnerships are getting the delivery job done while revealing sustainability benefits on the way.