When fans come to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, they are supporting more than a victory for the USC Trojans – they’re taking part in a sustainability effort that has helped push the stadium past the zero waste goal line. For a stadium with a capacity of more than 75,000, that is no small feat. Our venue ranks as one of the most sustainable stadiums in the country. See how the stats stack up.

What is Zero Waste?

Zero Waste, as defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance, aims for 90% diversion from landfills and incinerators. While the Coliseum only uses compostable products, achieving 100% is challenged by factors such as contamination and limitations in recycling technologies, or for us, when fans bring their own non-compostable products. However at the Coliseum, Zero Waste is more to us. It also means reducing the amount of waste that enters our waste streams in the first place. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the second-largest college stadium in the United States to achieve Zero Waste.

1,400 tons

Since 2015, our sustainability efforts have diverted over 1,400 tons of game day waste from the landfill. 1,400 tons is the same weight as over 700 cars or 200 elephants! Highlighting our 2023 football season, we achieved an overall 91.74% diversion rate, and our highest single game diversion rate was 92.22%! Of the 75.6 tons of waste generated in the stadium during the season, approximately 69 tons were recovered through recycling and composting practices and 1.01 tons of food were donated to St Francis Food Bank.

80-145 staff members

These massive accomplishments are achieved through many helping hands. Every game day, 80-145 custodial and staff members assist with zero waste goals alone.

Partners in Sustainability

It takes two full days to process waste from a single game. However, when we host back-to-back full-stadium events, our team turns around the clean-up and waste diversion in as few as eight hours.

None of these successes would be possible without active support from our community. Our zero waste partners include our janitorial partner ABM, our waste hauler Republic Services, our recycle hauler Recycling Pays, and our concessionaire Legends Global. We also work with BASF, EcoSafe Zero Waste, USC Office of Sustainability and Waxie Sanitary Supply Co as we break new ground in sustainable practices. The Coliseum is also proud to be a member of the of the Green Sports Alliance, a community dedicated to promoting a sustainable sporting world. 

Sustainability in Education, Research, and Operations

USC leadership continues to prioritize sustainable practices and make environmental justice a core part of its curriculum, fostering global citizens who are inspired to fight for an environmentally conscious future.

The Coliseum serves as a living laboratory for USC’s campus-wide commitment to sustainability, modeling sustainable innovation. Assignment: Earth formalizes our commitment to addressing climate change and outlines the University’s action plan for a cleaner campus. 

USC Athletics has become the 5th US university to sign on to the UNFCCC’s Sports For Climate Action Framework Agreement.

Awards

Zero Waste Awards
2024 Green Sports Alliance Net Zero Waste Champion
2023 CRRA Outstanding Practices in Venue/Event Resource Recovery Award
2022 Green Sports Alliance Net Zero Waste Champion
2021 Pac-12 Zero Waste Challenge Champion
2019 Pac-12 Zero Waste Challenge – Overall Winner, Co-Champion
2019 Green Sport Alliance Environmental Innovator of the Year
2018 CRRA Outstanding Practices in Venue/Event Resource Recovery Award
2017 Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl Champion
2016 Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl Champion
2015 Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl Most Improved

Renovation Awards
2020 ENR California Best Renovation/Restoration Project
2017 NECA Los Angeles Electrical Excellence Award (Field Lighting)

Historic Designations
2018 National Designation as a World War I Centennial Memorial
1984 Official Designation as a National and State Historic Landmark
1968 Re-Dedicated as a World War I Memorial

Programs

Sorting
Every game day, between 80 and 145 custodial and staff members work together to support our Zero Waste goals. At the heart of these efforts is our incredible specialized team of sorters, who ensure that we keep as much waste out of the landfill as possible! From the beginning of a game, it takes the team four to five days to process the 8 tons of compost and 3 tons of recycling generated, working through the night to help meet our Zero Waste targets.

Biodigester
We are thrilled to introduce our new BioCoTech Americas Biodigester! This cutting-edge technology transforms organic green material into rich, usable compost within 72 hours! This not only dramatically reduces our environmental footprint, but it also creates valuable, nutrient rich fertilizer. We estimate that the biodigester will help us compost up to 20 tons of food waste during the 2025 football season. We strive to set a powerful example of how creativity can transform waste into opportunity.

Reusables
For the 2023 and 2024 football seasons, we partnered with r.World to provide fans with an upscale reusable cup program. Together, we eliminated over 20,717 single-use items, conserved 4,538 gallons of water, and reduced 2,190 kWh of energy. Going into the 2025 football season, we are continuing to fight single-use plastics by partnering with Vytal for reusable cups. Vytal cups produce 11x less carbon emissions than single-use plastics, and we are excited to contribute to the 12 million disposables they have already saved! Moreover, in the kitchen, used oil is recycled into hand soap with Further Products Soap. Through these projects, the Coliseum is dedicated to creating a circular model for waste reduction. 

Single-Use Plastic Ban
Starting in 2015, the Coliseum implemented a single-use plastic ban in partnership with USC’s sustainability goals. Since then, the ban has saved 9,782 gallons of water and over 1,000lbs. of CO2!

Zero Waste Event Partners
Our goal for each and every event is to achieve a diversion rate above 90%. In order to meet this, we appreciate your continued support and for using only Zero Waste Program compliant products!

Reminders

  1. Please use green liners for food waste and clear liners for recyclables
    • Please keep recyclables separate from food waste and compost
    • Missing liners? Ask a Legends Global or Coliseum staff
  2. Please do not bring black trash liners into the stadium
  3. Please do not overfill green liners as they tear easily
  4. Use either paper or certified compostable containers for all food and beverage containers, lids, utensils, and straws, with the exception of bottles and cans

Expectations

Vendors will be asked to use:

  • For Beverages:
    • Recyclable cans
    • Compostable cups, straws, and lids only
    • NO plastic bottles
    • NO recyclable cups
  • For Food:
    • Paper fiber or certified compostable products
    • Certified compostable cutlery
    • NO individual condiment packets are allowed – please use bulk condiments
    • Food waste goes into green compost bags, which ABM will pick up throughout the game.
  • Sample Prohibited Items
    • Individual Condiments
    • Single Use Plastic Beverage Bottles
    • Styrofoam products
    • Plastic Cutlery/Utensils
    • Plastic Cups/Containers
    • Foil Wraps
    • Single Use Hard Plastic Items
    • Plastic Straws
  • What is Compostable? 
    • Uncoated papers (cellulose fibers such as trees, bagasse, potato, banana leaf)
    • Certified Compostable plastics (PLA – #7, see below)
    • For a plastic item to be considered compostable, it must meet one of several certifications, all of which determine that a product can be fully composted in a commercial facility over the course of 6-9 months.
  • Compost Certifications
    • ASTM D-6400
    • Cedar Grove
    • BPI (Biodegradable Plastics Institute)
  • Instructions for Post Event Waste Removal 
    • At the end of the game, take all cardboard, recyclables, and waste generated from your location to the nearest permanent concession stand on the yard level. Please place your items near the side door of the concession stand.
    • DO NOT stack compost bags or recyclables in the tunnel entrances on the yard level.
    • ABM custodial staff will haul the waste to the sorting site from the permanent concession stands for the first 3 hours following the event.
    • If you are working beyond the 3-hour post-event mark or the following day AND have waste to discard, it is your responsibility to take these items to the sorting site at Gate 16.
    • Please take all cooking grease, oils, and liquids off site with you when you leave the stadium. Please do not leave them behind.
  • Resources – additional supplier information for sourcing products