No. 10: IMS Honored for Sustainability Efforts
December 22, 2023 | By Curt Cavin, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Note: The Penske Entertainment editorial staff is looking back at the 10 biggest moments of 2023 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in this year-end series, with one installment appearing on the site per day in countdown fashion from Dec. 22-31.
Green means go at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the year began with an award worthy of celebration when Green Sports Day rolled around in October.
In January, IMS received its second silver certification from the Council for Responsible Sport, which honors groups for their ability to measure, implement, validate and improve the environmental and social impacts of their events. IMS received its first such honor in 2021. This year’s award was for its year-round operations of the entire venue, the first sports venue to be honored.
It's all part of Penske Entertainment’s continuing efforts for an improved environment.
IMS’ efforts included the completion of a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, venue upgrades to improve energy efficiency and reduce water usage, donating leftover food to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana for redistribution, executing a campaign to encourage spectators to bike to the event instead of drive and providing onsite COVID-19 vaccinations.
The innovations were vast and noteworthy.
In 2023, IMS recycled more than 243 tons of material from events and operations that would have otherwise gone to landfill, up from 75 tons in 2022. Those numbers are a marked improvement from just three years earlier when the venue had no recycling program. More than 8,000 pounds of food were rescued, equating to nearly 7,000 meals for the local community.
Legends, the official IMS retail partner, opened a fully sustainable store inside an electric truck. All items sold in the truck are reusable or designed from recycled plastic bottles. IMS donated leftover banners and other promotional materials that would otherwise go to a landfill to People for Urban Progress, a nonprofit organization that uses these materials to create clothing and accessories.
IMS expanded its compost program, which has two components. The first is event-based food composting, and the second is operational composting of mixed yard waste. During events, RE317 hauled food scraps from catering kitchens, suites and concessions to GreenCycle, a composting facility in Indianapolis. Additionally, the IMS grounds team collected mixed yard waste from landscaping and mowing to compost at GreenCycle, a program launched in 2023. In 2023, IMS composted 20.1 tons of food waste, up from 13.5 tons in 2022.
In May 2022, IMS, INDYCAR and their partners debuted a new eco-friendly Firestone Firehawk race tire at the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day. Those guayule tires were used at all NTT INDYCAR SERIES street course races in 2023.
IMS allowed fans to reduce their travel footprint through CHOOOSE, a carbon offset purchasing platform. These offsets supported the GreenTrees reforestation project, which restores and protects natural habitats in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
IMS also installed high-powered EV charging stations and transported all INDYCAR race tires to and from IMS via Freightliner eCascadia battery electric tractor trailers for the first zero emission tire transport solution in motorsports and made certain all electricity consumed at IMS in May 2022 was purchased through 100% Renewable Energy Credits. Souvenir shirts that were sold were made from recycled plastic bottles that saved 1 kilowatt hour of electricity and 2 gallons of water per shirt.
IMS was visited by more than 800,000 fans in 2023.