Camden Yards Baseball Stadium
Odor Challenge
Built in 1992, Camden Yards was one of the first ballparks to go up in a downtown area offering a traditional, fan-friendly approach to hosting Major League Baseball (MLB) games.
Providing the best possible experience to Orioles fans is paramount at Camden Yards. The stadium takes great care in using next-generation facility management tactics, which includes the removal of odors.
Trash from the almost 70,000,000 fans who have walked into the confines certainly has the air about it to accumulate a lingering scent over more than 22 years of operation.
The trash compactor and composting areas are adjacent to the team locker room, and are also next to the loading dock where the players and VIPs enter and exit the stadium. During the summer months, the heat can cause this area to be steeped in trash odors that bother many, especially employees.
To help mitigate the odor issue, Camden Yards sought out eco-friendly solutions that matched its “Go Green” initiative, which includes energy efficiency strategies, composting, recycling, and the use of eco-friendly concession supplies. In terms of cleaning supplies, the stadium also uses only green products throughout the park.
The overall strategy of this effort is to counter the eight billion pounds of chemicals that are used each year to clean and maintain commercial and industrial buildings in the United States, according to the EPA.
Solution
With this vision in mind, Camden Yards moved forward with its eco-friendly odor management strategy. In early efforts to fight the foul odors from the trash and composting area, the stadium tried a number of homemade remedies and air fresheners, but they were not able to fully address the issue.
When they found Fresh Wave IAQ’s natural products, which contained no toxins or fragrances, they were fairly certain from they had selected a “winning team” for odor control.
Camden Yards decided on implementing a Fresh Wave IAQ’s DVS65 Vapor Phase unit, with its “dry” dispersion system—sending sub-micron sized odor-neutralizing molecules continuously into the air. Rather than masking odors with the distribution of chemical-based additives commonly found in traditional air fresheners, this solution actually eliminates odors on a molecular level.
Results
Since installing the system, they immediately experienced a marked reduction in odors associated with the trash and composting areas. To date, they have received zero odor complaints from players, employees, or VIPs.
As a facility with a clear focus on green initiatives, Camden Yards is continually looking for new ways to improve its overall eco-conscious performance, to keep stadium occupants safe and happy, and to reduce its overall imprint on the planet.
Odor management is a challenge for any facility that has dumpster rooms, trash chutes, and loading docks, and especially when those areas are indoors or covered. Fortunately, it is possible to develop green odor-elimination strategies that are both safe and effective.
Odors Controlled
- Trash
- Compost
