KBO stadiums' waste outpaces attendance as green pledge stalls

Waste at Korea Baseball Organization stadiums rose 66.2% nationwide from 2023 to 2024, outpacing a 52.3% gain in attendance, The Korea Times reported Friday — three years after the KBO and its 10 clubs signed a pledge to cut single-use products.

The figures expose the gap between stated commitments and on-the-ground practice: the KBO and all 10 member clubs signed a voluntary agreement with South Korea's Ministry of Climate and Environment in 2023, pledging to reduce disposable products and expand reusable containers across its stadiums — a pledge the data suggest has seen little follow-through.

Seoul's Jamsil Baseball Stadium recorded the sharpest spike, with general waste surging from 214.44 tons to 497.94 tons — a 132.2% increase — while attendance at the venue grew only 36.9% over the same period, The Korea Times reported. Daegu Samsung Lions Park saw waste climb 94.9%. Only two of nine stadiums surveyed recorded any decline in waste output.

A stadium official at Jamsil said concession contracts were a structural barrier to change. "Beer cups require brand logos to be displayed under existing contracts, so disposable cups are being used," the official said. "As far as I know, most other stadiums are in a similar situation."

The KBO acknowledged it has no centralized system for tracking the problem. "We do not separately compile total annual waste generation figures," a KBO official said. The league also has no dedicated waste-management budget, The Korea Times found. At major U.S. sports venues, reusable cups are standard practice.

Rep. Lee Hack-young, a member of the National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee whose office obtained the waste data, said the numbers reveal how little has changed since the 2023 agreement. "As more people gather, waste generation is bound to increase," Lee said. "The fact that the KBO and clubs still do not have clear waste-management guidelines is a serious problem. It is fair to ask what has actually changed since the voluntary agreement signed three years ago. Clubs should now begin fulfilling their environmental responsibilities."

Lee Dong-yi, secretary-general of the Seoul Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, called for action by the corporate entities behind most clubs. "Many professional baseball clubs are operated by large corporations and generate considerable revenue from large crowds and frequent games, yet they remain overly passive about waste management," Lee said. "Stadium-wide efforts are needed to reduce waste, including encouraging spectators to use reusable containers when bringing food from outside."

The nine stadiums produced a combined 3,441.19 tons of waste in 2024, according to data submitted to Rep. Lee's office. The KBO League drew 12 million spectators last season.