Allstate Arena wins EPA award for green efforts
Madhu Krishnamurthy - Daily Herald

Click here to view Allstate Arena's sustainability information.

The EPA award, given for outstanding environmental sustainability practices and objectives, puts the Allstate Arena in an elite group of past recipients — the Walt Disney Company, FedEx Kinko's and Kohl's Department stores.

“People don't always think ‘environmental' when they think about Rosemont,” said Mayor Bradley Stephens. “But Rosemont prides itself on providing open space for our constituents and being conservative with our resources.”

To be considered, the arena had to establish three new waste prevention initiatives, expand or improve current recycling efforts, and purchase or manufacture products with recycled content.

“By improving the efficiency of waste management we were able to not just divert from landfills and reduce the carbon footprint, it reduces the consumption of fossil fuels from the transportation,” said Stephanie Katsaros, the arena's sustainability manager.

“It also reduces operational cost,” she added.

Allstate developed the ambitious Green for a Reason campaign to raise recycling awareness among performers, athletic teams and patrons. The arena — home of the Chicago Wolves, Chicago Rush, Chicago Sky and DePaul University men's basketball — hosts hundreds of entertainment events and seats nearly 20,000 fans.