Subaru and Philadelphia Union Reveal Larger-Than-Life Soccer Ball Sculpture To Celebrate Recycling Milestone
Automaker and Major League Soccer Team Commemorate One Million Pounds of Waste Diverted from Landfills with New Sculpture Made from Recycled Materials
CAMDEN, N.J. October 5, 2023 /3BL/ - Subaru of America, Inc. and the Philadelphia Union have revealed a unique “zero landfill” sculpture at Subaru Park in Chester, PA to commemorate its status as the first zero landfill stadium in Major League Soccer. Since achieving the milestone in 2021, Subaru and the Union have diverted more than one million pounds of waste from landfills. Subaru has been dedicated to helping other businesses and organizations achieve the same zero waste status that the Subaru of Indiana Automotive manufacturing plant achieved in 2004 and has freely shared knowledge with over 900 companies worldwide to help make the world a better place.
"We’re proud of our sustainable legacy and all we’ve accomplished since becoming the first automaker with a zero landfill factory in the United States,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Subaru of America. “We’re also proud of the recycling milestones we’ve achieved throughout our partnership with the Philadelphia Union, and we hope this incredible new sculpture will show visitors to Subaru Park just how beautiful recycling can be.”
Made from 12,000 upcycled pieces of recyclable materials collected from Subaru Park, the larger-than-life soccer ball sculpture now occupies a prominent spot in front of the stadium. The installation was unveiled ahead of Wednesday night’s match, with added fanfare from the Philadelphia Union’s notable supporters group, Sons of Ben, who created a custom tifo out of upcycled materials in celebration of the event.
“Our Philadelphia Union community has been instrumental in helping us achieve and maintain zero landfill status,” said Tim McDermott, Philadelphia Union President. “Whenever fans come to Subaru Park, they’ll be greeted by a beautiful reminder of the work they put in to make this stadium zero landfill and know that they may have contributed a piece to the sculpture.”
The sculpture was commissioned by Subaru and created by TerraCycle’s in-house design team who specialize in creating custom upcycled works including pieces of art, sculptures, consumer products, fashion, and furnishings from hard-to-recycle materials. Working with recycled materials collected only from Subaru Park, the team repurposed more than 12,000 pieces of waste that were diverted from landfills, including aluminum cans and tabs, plastic soda bottles and caps, as well as one large billboard. The sculpture symbolizes Subaru and the Union’s shared commitments, including love of the game and the planet.
The Subaru Park sculpture is part of the Subaru Loves the Earth® initiative to help reduce waste, preserve wildlife, and safeguard resources for generations to come. To learn more about Subaru Loves the Earth, visit Subaru.com/earth.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts, and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
About Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union is an innovative, forward-thinking professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of Philadelphia’s five major league sports teams. Driven by unprecedented fan support, MLS awarded the Philadelphia expansion franchise rights to Jay Sugarman in 2008 and the Union kicked off its inaugural season in 2010. The club has reached the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and has appeared in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2020, the Union were awarded the club’s first Supporters’ Shield after finishing with the best regular season record in MLS. In 2022, the Union reached the MLS Cup Final for the first time in club history.
The Philadelphia Union is part of parent company Union Sports and Entertainment LLC, which also operates Philadelphia Union II, the Philadelphia Union Academy, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Philadelphia Union Youth Programs. With a commitment to developing youth, the Union has signed 20 academy prospects to homegrown player contracts.
The Union play at Subaru Park in Chester, PA on the banks of the Delaware River. The custom-built stadium is part of the Union’s unique waterfront campus, featuring a historic power plant rebuilt into a 400,000 sq. ft. creative office building, a state-of-the-art Training Complex, over 7 acres of professional-grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields. For more information about the Philadelphia Union, visit www.philadelphiaunion.com and follow @PhilaUnion on Twitter or Instagram.
About TerraCycle
TerraCycle is an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions, creating and operating first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials, and reuse. Across 21 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community across a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals. To learn more about TerraCycle and join them on their journey to move the world from a linear economy to a circular one, please visit www.terracycle.com.
Diane Anton
Subaru of America, Inc.
(856) 488-5093
danton@subaru.com
Adam Leiter
Subaru of America, Inc.
(856) 488-8668
aleiter@subaru.com
Amanda Young Curtis
Philadelphia Union
(484) 686-5718
ayoungcurtis@philadelphiaunion.com
