America West Arena, U.S. Airways Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, PHX Arena, and Phoenix Suns Arena. The sports venue on Jefferson Street has had many names, and now it has a new one, one that certainly makes a mark.
The downtown Phoenix arena changed its name to the Footprint Center on July 16, integrating their sustainability practices and making the arena a venue following the trend of cutting down on plastic use.
In a press release, the Suns, Mercury and Real Mallorca, a Spanish soccer team owned by Suns owner Robert Sarver, announced that they would be partnering with Footprint, a Gilbert-based material science company.
The announcement said that the “partnership will include naming rights and product integration, and it will exponentially amplify awareness and use of plant-based fiber alternatives to plastic and build toward a carbon-neutral, plastic-free arena.”
The arena plans to serve food in biodegradable containers, as well as educate fans about the importance of rejecting single-use plastics.
The changes coming to the Footprint Center are just the latest in the trend of sports venues eliminating use of plastics.
Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, eradicated 99.4% of plastics in 2020. When the stadium hosted the Super Bowl in 2019, aluminum cups were used for drinks.
The effect the partnership will have on the city of Phoenix, Suns and Mercury chief revenue officer Dan Costello said the “partnership with Footprint will put Phoenix on the map for a more sustainable future.
“Taking this step will position the Valley at the forefront of the sustainability movement. A local effort to eliminate plastic and become carbon-neutral will set a standard for innovation that can spread through the city and scale throughout the sports and entertainment industry,” Costello added.
Founded in 2014 by Troy Swope and Yoke Chung, Footprint has worked to make the Earth healthier and more sustainable by creating “plant-based fiber containers for frozen food, fresh produce, ready-to-eat meals and quick service food businesses.”
Swope said he hopes to sell billions of units next year, a testament to the growth the company has had in just seven years.
Sarver commented that “Footprint is a global leader that is also Arizona-based and therefore shares our commitment to the Valley. Integrating Footprint’s plant-based fiber technology into our core business functions will mobilize partners and fans to drive collective and systemic change, in our arena and beyond.”
Contact the reporter at svalen36@asu.edu.
