Sporting Kansas City teams up with Huhtamaki to make Children’s Mercy park zero waste

Huhtamaki North America announces its sponsorship of a sports stadium. In a recently announced five-year deal, Huhtamaki will be the official sustainable packaging provider at Children’s Mercy Park stadium, home of the US Major League Soccer (MLS) team, Sporting Kansas City. Together, both companies will further reduce the stadium’s environmental footprint.

The company’s sports partnership in North America features naming rights to the Huhtamaki Shield Club at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City and community impact initiatives for the region through support of Sporting Sustainability and The Victory Project. Together with Sporting Kansas City, Huhtamaki is committed to reducing the stadium’s environmental footprint with the goal of zero waste by 2027.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Huhtamaki, a global packaging leader with a longstanding reputation of excellence in sustainable food packaging. Together we will achieve a more sustainable future,” said Jon Moses, vice president - Corporate Partnerships, Sporting Kansas City.

Sharing the same vision of a sustainable guest experience

"We share the same vision to create a sustainable guest experience with our innovative culinary approach and our overall stadium food and beverage initiatives,” said Marc Mulherin, Vice President - Hospitality, Sporting Kansas City. “Offering an elevated food and beverage experience that focuses on environmental and sustainability efforts will be a continued approach for the 2023 season and beyond."

“We applaud the sustainability efforts of Sporting Kansas City and are excited to work toward zero waste at Children’s Mercy Park. Working alongside Sporting Kansas City, we will demonstrate the circularity of our packaging, which is designed to protect food, people, and the planet,” said Ann O’Hara, president, Huhtamaki - North America.

“Packaging sustainability starts with the end in mind. At Huhtamaki, we are innovating all our packaging to be recyclable or compostable. Our packaging ensures food is delivered safely and conveniently to consumers and then recycled and composted to protect our planet,” said Michael Hodges, vice president - Sustainability and Communications, Huhtamaki.

The partnership between Sporting Kansas City and Huhtamaki, is centered on a shared commitment to championing a legacy of sustainability. Together, the companies will strive to further reduce the environmental footprint of stadium operations at Children’s Mercy Park by integrating Huhtamaki’s innovative products to limit waste by moving towards compostable and recyclable products in all premium spaces.

In addition, Sporting Kansas City will aim to introduce composting depositories at other area soccer facilities operated by the club – including Central Bank Sporting Complex, Compass Minerals National Performance Center, Compass Minerals Sporting Fields, and Swope Soccer Village – while also establishing strategic messaging campaigns to increase awareness of compostable practices.