FRISCO, TEXAS (April 17, 2022)– FC Dallas joins MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s social responsibility platform, as it kicks off its sixth Annual Greener Goals Week of Service which highlights the League’s commitment to environmental sustainability, including efforts around waste reduction. Earth Day matches on April 22-23 will raise awareness surrounding sustainability and highlight how our MLS soccer community is addressing environmental impact.
FC Dallas will team up with Keep Lewisville Beautiful as part of the Greener Goals Week of Service. Keep Lewisville Beautiful partners with the community to promote environmental quality, making Lewisville the best place to live, work and play. FC Dallas staff will volunteer their time cleaning up a local park as part of this initiative.
As part of Greener Goals Week of Service, MLS and its clubs will also join forces with adidas to promote ocean plastic waste recovery. In partnership with nonprofit Parley for the Oceans, MLS and adidas are developing an immersive educational experience dedicated to the understanding of marine environments and the co-creation of plastic waste solutions called the Parley Ocean School. More details will be shared at a later date.
To underscore the League’s commitment to raising awareness about ocean plastic waste and eliminating CO2-emitting plastics production, MLS players will be sporting adidas One Planet jerseys during Earth Day weekend. The jerseys are entirely out of recycled materials, including recovered plastic, and will be available at MLSstore.com and select club retail locations starting April 18 at 10 a.m. CT.
MLS continues to explore opportunities to reduce non-renewable energy use, as well as measure and help to offset a portion of emissions associated with League and club travel including airfare, accommodations and ground transportation for the regular MLS season, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and Audi MLS Cup.
Throughout the season, MLS clubs are also partnering with local food organizations to distribute unused food following matches at their stadiums. Intending to reduce food waste and help address food insecurity in their region, MLS venues will collectively divert more than 55 tons of food to local food donation programs, avoiding approximately 208 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to approximately 330 cross continent air flights from San Jose to Montreal.
Throughout Greener Goals Week of Service, all 29 MLS clubs and the League office will volunteer their time by conducting environmentally friendly projects in partnership with local charitable organizations to positively impact local communities. MLS club-driven activations are outlined here.
This announcement arrives during a period of tremendous momentum behind the sport of soccer in North America, as Major League Soccer’s 28th season is underway, the highly anticipated 2023 Leagues Cup will take place from July 21 to August 19, and as the 2026 World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico approaches.
The greening of our game will encourage MLS clubs, players, partners, and fans to give back to our communities and raise awareness for environmental responsibility. For more information on Greener Goals, including sustainability tips, MLS club efforts around Earth Day and the League’s efforts to help address its environmental impact, visit MLSsoccer.com/MLSWORKS or follow @MLSWORKS on social platforms.
