Barclays Center to eliminate use of plastic straws at all events

July 26, 2018 From Barclays Center

Associated Press photo, Business Wire

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Barclays Center and NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum will eliminate single-use plastic straws at all events by 2019, becoming the first sports and entertainment venues in the New York area to make this commitment. The move will divert from landfill the combined 5.5 million straws used annually by the two venues. Levy Restaurants, the venue’s food and beverage provider, will offer guests a strawless lid or alternative-material straw option, which will be compostable, upon request.

“Since opening Barclays Center, sustainability has been a priority and a core value for our company,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global. “I want to thank BSE Advisory Board member Adrian Grenier, co-founder of Lonely Whale, for inspiring us to be a leader in this movement.”

This initiative is an added facet to the already robust sustainability platforms at both venues. Barclays Center was the first arena in New York to be LEED® Silver Certified and, in partnership with waste management technology company Recycle Track Systems (RTS), uses composting and single-stream recycling solutions in the venue. The arena’s culinary paper products, provided by Eco-Products, are compostable, and the venue’s green roof, the largest on any entertainment venue nationwide, reduces the amount of storm water runoff from the building by close to two million gallons per year.