On November 30th, 2025, Lumen Field became the second ever NFL stadium to achieve TRUE Certification (gold) in Zero Waste. This distinction is only shared with the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which earned TRUE Certification (platinum) in 2023.
TRUE Certification is administered by Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI) to buildings and projects that have reached impressive zero-waste standards by implementing sustainable practices to reduce waste and contribute positively to the environment. Lumen Field first teased its TRUE pre-certification back in 2024. To earn TRUE certification, Lumen Field had to go through an intensive one-year tracking period to demonstrate sustainable waste practices. During this, Lumen Field achieved a waste diversion rate of 93%, meaning they redirected 93% of waste materials away from landfills through recycling and composting. This is a drastic improvement from the facility’s diversion rate in 2006, which was only 4.6%.
Spearheading Lumen Field’s sustainability efforts is Sustainability Manager Christy Briggs. Briggs worked alongside the McKinstry organization to implement MFRi (mini-Material Recovery Facility) sorting technology in 2022. The introduction of MRFi sorting technology increased the stadium’s sorting efficiency, which helped improve Lumen Field’s waste diversion rate. In other words, this technology streamlined the stadium’s ability to sort waste, decreasing the facility’s sorting time after events from 5 days to 36 hours.
Besides the MRFi sorting system, Lumen Field has adopted compostable food packaging and partnered with local farmers to create a more sustainable dining experience at the stadium. Cups, plates, and utensils are designed to be reused and recycled, with waste sorting stations set up around the facility for fans to aid in the waste reduction process. For example, there are different waste bins to collect aluminum canned beverages and recyclable cups. The bins for aluminum products have openings that only allow cans and bottles, which makes waste collection more efficient, and collected waste can be sent straight to recycling without extra sorting. Additionally, the lighting system at Lumen Field has been revamped with energy-efficient LEDs. These lights power the stadium while decreasing the facility’s energy expenditure.
For Lumen Field to be the second stadium to receive such a prestigious conservation achievement comes as no surprise when considering the history of Seattle. Seattle is known for being a climate-conscious city; in 2013 Seattle released the ambitious Climate Action Plan, charting goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. In the pursuit of these goals, Seattle has made efforts to complete major reforestation projects, reduce transportation emissions by improving public transport and walking and biking options, and build new infrastructure that is energy efficient. There is a clear consensus among Seattleites that climate change is not a trivial issue to disregard, but a bigger social problem that needs to be addressed.
With the amount of waste produced from stadium-held events (an average 80,000 Ibs!), Lumen Field becoming TRUE Certified is a step in the right direction for not only the climate endeavors of Seattle, but greater change when it comes to sustainable practices around the globe. Achieving True Gold certification signifies Lumen Field’s leadership as a Zero Waste stadium, which will continue to serve as an influential example for future facilities to follow.
