Hawks, State Farm Arena, and WestRock Announce Sustainability-Focused Partnership

The Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena and WestRock (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of sustainable paper and packaging solutions,  announced on Wednesday a new multi-year sustainability-focused partnership.

The organizations will partner on a variety of initiatives intended to reduce waste, preserve biodiversity while supporting the well-being of local Atlanta communities.

As part of the partnership, the Hawks launched ‘Rock the Rim’, a campaign and service project that will include employees from both organizations that will plant trees throughout the community for every dunk made by the Atlanta Hawks during the season.

“Rock the Rim” is another great example of how we plan to continue making a true impact off the court and in the Atlanta community. Having WestRock as a sustainability partner continues to represent the importance of partnerships in this space.” said Hawks and State Farm Arena’s Head of Sustainability Sofi Armenakian.

Our two organizations are aligned on the values of sustainability and community impact, and we believe that this collaboration will both enhance the overall fan experience and create a positive and lasting impact on our Atlanta community.”said Hawks and State Farm Arena’s Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Andrew Saltzman.

In April 2022, State Farm Arena became the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE Platinum certification after consistently diverting a minimum of 90 percent of all waste.

WestRock will also be the official entitlement partner of State Farm Arena’s Resource Recovery Room (R3), an area designated outside the award-winning arena, that is exclusively dedicated to sorting waste generated during events.

Since becoming the world’s first sports and entertainment venue to become TRUE Platinum certified for zero waste, the organization has used its Resource Recovery Room to divert millions of pounds of waste.

“Partnership and collaboration are the foundations of WestRock’s approach to delivering a sustainable future,” said Alpa Sutaria, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Sustainability at WestRock.

To learn more about the organizations’ commitment to sustainability, visitStateFarmArena.com/sustainability.