The tech smarts of Super Bowl 50 have been well reported, and we also blogged about how the event was the most technologically groundbreaking in NFL history. But it also has a lot to be proud of in terms of eco-friendliness.

Here’s a rundown of Super Bowl 50 sustainability efforts:

The Levi’s Stadium

Great care was taken not only to make sure the new 49ers stadium (the host arena of Super Bowl 50)  was fit for the new demands of our ever-connected age, but to make sure it was as ecologically-friendly as possible. The stadium has the honor of being the first pro football stadium to open with LEED Gold certification. As part of that, there are more than 1,000 solar panels in the stadium – enough to power a whole season of 49ers games.

Re-use of water

While the recent rain in the Bay Area (thanks El Nino!) has provided much relief to years of drought, the new stadium is working hard to make sure not a drop is wasted, using reclaimed water for both potable and non-potable uses such as irrigating the playing field.

The “Play Your Part” Campaign

With the slogan “take action, chose causes, win prizes,” the Super Bowl 50 committee hoped to create a means of engaging people in a rewarding way to make this huge event more eco-friendly than ever. This includes encouraging – and facilitating – fans, volunteers and workers to take public transport, bicycle or walk to the event to limit pollution.

No single-use water bottles

This is an initiative to applaud on two counts. First, by providing free water stations throughout Super Bowl City, the organization helped limit the pile-up of thousands of small empty water bottles. Second, it was a smart move for a host city to make guests feel as comfortable as possible to help them truly enjoy the event – and feel good about the environment while doing so.

If you attended any of the Super Bowl 50 events and have an eco-friendly idea you saw that you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you. As ever, please get in touch.