A wall of solar panels towered above a sea of green football jerseys as people filed into Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for a recent Eagles home game.

Stadium staff manually sort recyclables, and an on-site compactor crushes aluminum cans so the metal can be sold for recycling. The Linc recycled 18 tons of aluminum in 2024 and reinvested the money into the stadium’s sustainability program.

The venue is among several NFL stadiums, also including those in Atlanta and Santa Clara, that have made strides in lowering their carbon footprints by installing solar panels and creating composting and recycling programs.

Powering jumbotrons, bright lights and air conditioning requires huge amounts of energy, which can take its toll on the environment. Experts said the moves are a step in the right direction and encourage fans of the most-watched sport in the United States to try similar approaches at home.

Lincoln Financial Field is considered a leader in venue sustainability. The solar panels produce about 40% of the stadium's energy annually and renewable energy credits are purchased to offset the rest, said Norman Vossschulte, the Eagles' vice president of fan experience and sustainability.

The visibility of stadium sustainability initiatives leads to a sense of group identity and increases the likelihood that fans will adopt that mindset as their own, said Karen Winterich, professor of sustainability and marketing at the Pennsylvania State University.

The next Super Bowl will be held at the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Some of the stadium’s sustainable initiatives include 1,162 solar panels, a rooftop garden that yields about 10,000 pounds of crops annually, and recycling and composting 70% of all materials.

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AP Video by Tassanee Vejpongsa