Q2 Stadium is marketed as Austin’s Biggest Party, and it’s also one of Texas’ most sustainability-focused facilities.
An innovative infrastructure project helped it earn that title.
The three-year-old home of Major League Soccer’s Austin FC and a host venue for the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, Q2 was the first soccer-specific stadium and second sports venue in the world to earn Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) pre-certification. According to a press release issued by Austin FC, this pre-certification recognizes projects implementing the fundamental actions and policies needed to effectively pursue zero waste.
“Sustainability was an integral part of Q2 Stadium’s design and it continues to be a top priority as we strive to make the venue a home that Austinites can enjoy for years to come,” said Austin FC President Andy Loughnane. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition for the stadium’s commitment to achieving zero waste.”
According to an article in Waste Dive, the key to Q2 achieving zero waste designation is a custom-built, “mini materials recovery facility (MRF)” which can sort the stadium’s recyclable materials, trash and organics.
Explaining MRFs (Mini Materials Recovery Facilities)
MRFs typically come in two different types: clean and dirty. Clean MRFs take in commingled recyclable materials that have been separated from municipal solid waste, usually by individual citizens or businesses before curbside trash collection, then sort those recyclable materials and prepare them for market.
A dirty MRF, like the one at Q2, take in a broad stream of solid waste and separates out recyclable materials through manual and mechanical sorting. The recyclable materials are prepared for market, while the nonrecyclable materials are sent to a landfill or other disposal facility.
Austin FC partnered with Texas Disposal Systems (TDS), its recycling partner since 2020, who designed and built Q2’s mini MRF to process about seven tons of materials each game day.
True to its name, Q2’s mini MRF takes up significantly less space than a traditional MRF. A combination of compactors and two conveyors help move materials through the stadium and sort them into cleaner streams.
After waste is processed at the mini MRF, the material goes to TDS’s much larger 150,000 square foot facility just outside of Austin. It’s there that organics are funneled into the company’s composting operation, solid waste to a landfill, and recyclables are further sorted in a large-scale MRF.
Adam Gregory, Vice President of Business Development for TDS, said his company had never built an MRF inside a soccer stadium before, but “we’ve historically custom made a lot of our own recycling equipment, so we had the expertise and the experience to come up with this system.”
“Our partnership benefits in multiple different ways, and part of that is increasing the amount of material we’re able to divert,” Gregory added.
To achieve TRUE Certification, the highest level of certification for zero waste facilities under the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Q2 must show the facility can reach a 90% diversion rate over a year-long period. According to a Waste Diversion Tracker on Austin FC’s website, the club hit that mark for six of its nine matches from February 24, 2024 to May 29, 2024. They were over an 88% diversion rate for the other three matches.
“We’re now very, very close to that zero waste designation. That will be big for us, big for the fans,” said Nick Otte, senior director of stadium operations for Austin FC.
What has made the club’s efforts easier is the support they’ve received from their supporters, who have even suggested adding more recycling bins in more areas of the stadiums.
“It would be much, much more difficult to get the kind of diversion if the fans weren’t already doing a fantastic job of putting things in the right container,” Gregory said.
GPRS Supports Sustainability Projects
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)?
A Materials Recovery Facility, commonly known as an MRF, is a specialized plant that receives, separates, and prepares recyclable materials for end-use manufacturers. MRFs sort mixed recyclables collected from households and businesses into categories like paper, plastics, metals, and glass, using a combination of manual and automated processes.
2. How do MRFs sort and process materials?
MRFs use a variety of technologies to separate recyclable materials, including conveyor belts, magnets, air classifiers, screens, and optical sorters. The materials are sorted by type and sometimes by color or grade. After sorting, they are compacted into bales or cleaned, if needed, before being shipped to manufacturers who will use them to create new products.
3. What materials can be processed at an MRF?
Most MRFs process materials like paper (cardboard, newspapers), plastics (bottles, containers), metals (aluminum cans, steel tins), and glass. Some facilities are equipped to handle more complex items such as electronic waste or hazardous materials, but this varies depending on the MRF’s capabilities and the local recycling program. It's always recommended to check with your local MRF or recycling program for a specific list of accepted materials.
