Revolutionizing Waste Generation and Recycling at Sporting Events
Super Bowl 2025 and the Final Four of March Madness in San Antonio
Every major sporting event delivers thrilling moments, record-breaking performances… and mountains of waste. From overflowing bins of food wrappers and drink containers to abandoned promotional materials, stadiums and host cities are left to handle the aftermath.
But the issue is not just the volume of waste, it's the missed opportunity to turn waste management into a sustainability win through recycling, cost savings, and circularity initiatives.
The Waste Problem: Super Bowl & March Madness
The Super Bowl is a clear example. A typical NFL game generates 30 to 40 tons of waste, but the Super Bowl can top 60 tons. In 2025, over 160,000 pounds of waste were produced inside and around the stadium.
According to Forbes’ 5 Ways Super Bowl LIX Is Tackling Sustainability, to tackle the issue, organizers deployed:
- 200 additional recycling bins
- Extra sustainability staff to sort and reduce contamination
Even with these efforts, waste contamination remains a persistent challenge.
According to Front Row News, recycling teams worked before and after the game, guiding fans, inspecting stands, and sorting recyclable material.
March Madness presents an even greater challenge: its multi-week, multi-location format makes waste tracking and management far more complex. The most comprehensive waste data we have is from 2013, when the Final Four in Atlanta generated 33.54 tons of recyclables across several venues. A decade later, we're still in the dark on how things have changed.
That’s where MyMatR comes in. With real-time waste tracking and AI-powered analytics, we can finally shine a light on what’s happening in the waste stream.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Waste Management
Inefficient waste handling doesn’t just hurt the environment, it hits the bottom line. Consider the hidden costs of not prioritizing recycling:
- Higher Disposal Fees: When recyclables end up in landfills due to contamination, hauling and tipping costs rise.
- Lost Revenue: Clean, sorted materials can be sold, but contaminated loads are worthless.
- Data Collection Costs: Gathering accurate waste data typically requires staffing and manual processes.
- Reputational Risk: Today’s fans, sponsors, and city partners expect sustainability and falling short can harm brand perception.
Smart waste systems like MyMatR help streamline this process. Our AI reduces the need for human oversight, improves data accuracy, and provides actionable insights, all while making recycling more accessible and transparent.
Super Bowl vs. March Madness – Waste, Contamination & Efficiency
Rather than just focus on ROI, it's important to understand how MyMatR creates a more efficient waste system:
Why Real-Time Waste Data Matters
The lack of recent March Madness and Super Bowl waste data highlights how large events are operating in the dark regarding waste management. Without up-to-date metrics, it is impossible to measure improvement or make informed decisions. MyMatR changes that by providing real-time waste tracking and analytics, allowing venues to:
- Pinpoint waste generation hotspots and adjust bin placements accordingly
- Measure contamination levels and improve recycling rates through optimized collection methods
- Track financial savings from improved waste diversion and reduced disposal costs
The Future of Sustainable Sports Events
The next era of sports sustainability is data-driven.
From the Super Bowl to March Madness and beyond, venues can lead the charge in transforming waste from a burden into a strategic opportunity. MyMatR provides the tools to reduce contamination, engage fans, and make meaningful progress toward sustainability goals, without increasing labor or complexity.
Because in the game of sustainable sports events, everyone deserves a win.
