The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club has partnered with Rubicon Global to recycle all the seats removed during the Philips Arena transformation project. The removed seats were taken to a nearby facility, where, under Rubicon’s supervision, the recyclable material was separated from residual landfill material and then weighed, recycled and/or disposed of responsibly. The seat removal is part of the broader transformation of Philips Arena, which will be the second largest arena renovation in NBA history. The project demonstrates the Hawks’ commitment to incorporating sustainable practices across its operations and working to help create a more circular economy.

“As a leader in our community, we felt it was our responsibility to remove seats and other materials in a way that values sustainability,” said Brett Stefansson, executive vice president and general manager of Philips Arena, in a statement. “Aligning with Rubicon, an industry leader in this space, underscores our commitment to keep Philips Arena a green facility.”

The project, which took place from April 23 to 27, involved the removal of 12,500 seats from Philips Arena. Working with Rubicon, 64 tons of recyclable material was identified, or 265 tons of carbon emissions avoided, which equates to the environmental impact of the combined emissions of 57 passenger vehicles over one year, the energy use of 29 homes for one year and the wood from 6,900 trees.

“We couldn’t be happier to partner with our hometown Hawks during their historic renovation,” said Nate Morris, founder, chairman and CEO of Rubicon Global, in a statement. “Sorting and recycling the material removed during the Philips Arena transformation serves as a large-scale example of how the RUBICONMethod, which provides best practices for businesses of all sizes that are working to reduce their waste generation and keep valuable materials out of landfills, can be put into action.”

Introduced in March 2018, the RUBICONMethod is a universal tool for running a successful recycling and waste reduction program. Utilizing an easy-to-remember acronym, DIVERT (Determine-Initiate-Vocalize-Eliminate-Roll-out-Track), the RUBICONMethod builds upon the classic mantra—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—by helping businesses focus on the ‘how’ associated with implementing waste reduction and recycling best practices. 

Rubicon’s mission is to end waste. With its technology, data analytics and solutions teams, Rubicon works to find new efficiencies and cost savings in every customer’s waste stream and to develop new and innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle materials.

The Hawks’ transformation of Philips Arena will rethink and rebuild the interior of the building from the roofline to the baseline and will include major changes to the current arena configuration, including removing the six-level wall of suites on the west side of the arena allowing for new amenities on every level of the building, installing a new state-of-the-art, center-hung scoreboard and video displays and revamping the concourses with 360-degree connectivity and a reimagined eating and drinking experience featuring new open food stalls and bars throughout.