The City is working alongside the NFL Draft Experience to reduce the three-day long, football festival’s environmental impact. Whether you’re an Eagles fan or an eagle lover, you can rest assured the NFL aims to create a sustainable event.

The NFL has been proactive in implementing a sustainability plan for the free event, taking place over the course of April 27th through April 29th. The plan covers everything from waste to habitat building.

1. Solid waste management

Large events produce a lot of waste. But the NFL Draft Experience is working with Waste Waters, a volunteer-run initiative to divert as much waste as possible away from landfills and instead, into recycling and compost. There will be 100 volunteers assisting festival-goers on how to recycle and compost their waste. In addition to having helpers on hand at the event, there will be hundreds of recycling bins along the parkway, composting stations at food service areas, and water bottle refill stations in strategic locations.

2. Food waste recovery

Wondering what will happen to all that access food? The event will be using Food Connect to donate prepared and non-perishable food to food banks and providers such as Philabundance. Food Connect is an app that “helps connect food rescue and hunger relief efforts in real time so surplus food can get to where it needs to go.”

3. Material Reuse

What about all the waste from the structures being built? The NFL is working with a wide variety of partners to donate carpet, vinyl signage, office supplies, and other materials used at the draft events so they can be reused.

4. Renewable Energy

Big events require a lot of access energy. The key Draft Experience events will be powered by renewable energy along the Parkway and in downtown Philadelphia.

5. Green Legacy

The NFL aims to leave a lasting, positive impact after large events. To do that, The NFL will plant five trees for every player drafted. That’s over 1,280 trees this year! Also, the NFL is providing support for a long-term habitat restoration project along the Delaware River at Pennypack Park. The project will include the removal of several invasive species that have crowded out native species and replanting of the area to restore native trees and plants.

Although the event doesn’t start until tomorrow, they have already begun implementing their sustainability plan. Today, with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Fairmount Park Conservancy, the Philadelphia Eagles, and Verizon, volunteers are building a pollinator protection habitat in Hunting Park for Monarch butterflies that migrate through the Philadelphia area.

Want to know more about the event? Read, “Everything you need to know about the NFL Draft Experience” from the Office of the Mayor.