A wall of solar panels towered above a sea of green football jerseys as people filed into Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a recent Eagles home game. Inside, some fans snapped photos with an oversized Lombardi Trophy made out of recycled plastic collected from the stadium while others strolled to their seats carrying beverages in recyclable aluminum cups.

“These are real nice cups,” said Tre Simon, a fan who was impressed at how cold the aluminum cup kept his drink. “Keep this going … I think it’s perfect.”

Stadium staff manually sort recyclables, and an on-site compactor crushes aluminum so the metal can be sold for recycling. The Linc recycled 18 tons of aluminum in 2024 and reinvested the money into the stadium’s sustainability program.

The venue is among several NFL stadiums, also including those in Atlanta and Santa Clara, that have made strides in lowering their carbon footprints by installing solar panels and creating composting and recycling programs. Powering jumbotrons, bright lights and air conditioning requires huge amounts of energy, which can take its toll on the environment. Experts said the moves are a step in the right direction and encourage fans of the most-watched sport in the United States to try similar approaches at home.

“You always want to root for a team that’s doing good by the environment and the community,” said Brendan Gee, an Eagles fan at another home game.

“Why not recycle when you can, and solar panels are pretty cool I guess,” said Jakub Dzafic, another Eagles fan, who added: “Any NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB team should try and do that when they can.”

Solar panels and energy credits

Lincoln Financial Field is considered a leader in venue sustainability. The solar panels produce about 40% of the stadium’s energy annually and renewable energy credits are purchased to offset the rest, said Norman Vossschulte, the Eagles’ vice president of fan experience and sustainability.

“Our hope is that our efforts will inspire our fans to do the same and take some of their own actions. If we all did something, I think it’d make a big difference,” Vossschulte said.

Large sporting events can produce a lot of waste and consume massive amounts of energy. Asked whether a stadium can ever be truly sustainable, Tony Lamanna, construction management professor at Arizona State University, said “every bit counts. ”

“I don’t think you necessarily have to be net zero to be making an impact,” he said.

Lamanna said stadium sustainability encompasses both how the venue reduces its own footprint and how it influences fans’ habits.

“If you can model the right actions to the 80,000 fans or however many you have in your stadium, think of the impact,” he said.