Portland Trail Blazers Announce Eco-Products as an Official Zero Waste Partner

Eco-Products Provides All Compostable Products Within Moda Center & Support for Rip City Reuse

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Portland Trail Blazers and Eco-Products® have announced a partnership that names Eco-Products as an Official Zero Waste Partner of the organization. The partnership will feature compostable foodservice packaging from Eco-Products within Moda Center and Veterans Memorial Coliseum, while supporting the organization's overall composting program and waste diversion efforts. Eco-Products will also be providing Rip City Reuse cups for Moda Center's groundbreaking reusable drinkware program through a partnership with its Novolex® sister company, Waddington North America®. 

"We're very excited to bring on Eco-Products as an Official Zero Waste Partner as we continue to lead sustainability efforts across professional sports," said Brittany Saulsbury, Portland Trail Blazers Sustainability Operations Manager. "With a goal of achieving zero waste for every event no later than 2030, we are taking bold steps in our waste management practices and it all starts with what we source. Our partnership with Eco-Products will support and elevate our goal of only having compostables, recyclables, and reusables in our concession stands."

"We're thrilled to see compostables, recyclables and reusables working together at scale in a venue like Moda Center," said Ian Jacobson, President of Eco-Products. "The culture and fanbase in the Pacific Northwest make it the perfect place to try this for the first time, and we feel lucky to be a part of it."

The Portland Trail Blazers are committed to sustainability efforts that support our journey to Zero Waste as we look to improve and protect the environment in which we all work, play and live. Compostable foodservice packaging, provided by Eco-Products is available throughout the arena in the form of plates, bowls, trays, utensils, cups, straws, and much more at all concession stands and premium areas. Fan participation in the compost program is extremely accessible as all waste bins throughout the arena also feature a compost bin, where Trail Blazer fans can put their plates, bowls, utensils, and any food scraps.

Members of Rip City now have the chance to participate in a composting program that directly benefits Oregon farmers. At the conclusion of events, compost bins are sorted to remove any contamination before long-time local hauler COR Disposal & Recycling collects the compost and delivers it to a fifth-generation Oregon farmer, Annen Brothers Inc., near Mount Angel, Oregon. Annen Brothers composts the material into nutrient-rich soil which is then utilized for farming and growing Oregon hazelnuts.

Eco-Products has a long history of working with stadiums, venues, ski resorts, and others to achieve waste diversion success through the use of compostable packaging in front-of-house collection programs. They advocate for a systems approach to contamination mitigation that was recently formalized into the "CIRC" Program – a set of open-sourced tools designed to help the foodservice industry keep non-compostables out of organics streams.

ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by the late Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team's rich heritage includes 37 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play. Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, Moda Center, is the first existing arena to earn LEED Platinum Certification in 2019 after receiving LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 and becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010. The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit trailblazers.com.

ABOUT ECO-PRODUCTS
Eco-Products^®, a Novolex^® brand and certified B Corp, is a leading provider of foodservice packaging made from renewable and recycled resources. Eco-Products offers packaging with real environmental benefits, works with customers to improve composting and recycling, and collaborates with the broader industry to shift how businesses and consumers think about and manage waste. With the goal of Zero Waste as part of the company mission, Eco-Products is using business as a force for good. Visit www.ecoproducts.com for more information.

Media contact 
Mark Pankowski
301-260-9250
[email protected]

Portland Trail Blazers Corporate Communications
Walt Scher
Director of Corporate Communications
[email protected]

Gabby Davin
Corporate Communications Coordinator
[email protected]

SOURCE Eco-Products