Like bobbleheads, Seattle sports fans? Try Free Compost Night

It will probably never replace Ichiro Bobblehead Night, but Mariners fans at several games this season are likely to be offered a freebie they haven't seen at Safeco Field before:

Compost.

Not just any compost, mind you, but small bags of compost made from food waste, packaging material, drink cups, utensils and other stuff discarded during past Mariners games and transformed into a garden-friendly mix by Cedar Grove Composting.

Think of it as taking a little bit of the ballpark home, said Scott Jenkins, Mariners vice president for ballpark operations.

Free-compost nights were one of many earth-friendly steps mentioned Monday as representatives of six Northwest pro-sports teams and their venues gathered at Safeco Field to announce the creation of Green Sports Alliance, a nonprofit they hope will reduce the sports industry's impact on the environment.

"We've had a culture of consumption," said Jenkins. "We need to have a culture of conservation."

Founding members of the alliance include the Seattle Mariners, Seahawks, Storm and Sounders FC, as well as the Portland Trail Blazers and Vancouver, B.C., Canucks. Representatives of their venues are also participating.

Several speakers Monday credited Paul Allen and members of his organization with helping spark the creation of the alliance, along with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Allen owns the National Football League's Seahawks and National Basketball Association's Trail Blazers, and is co-owner of Major League Soccer's Sounders FC.

Team representatives said each of their groups has been taking steps for years to reduce their energy consumption, waste production and use of natural resources. The alliance will give them tools to measure the success of certain actions, and share the information with other organizations around the country.

"Sports has a significant opportunity to influence change on a number of initiatives," said Karen Bryant, CEO of the WNBA's Storm.

In its recent season, the Storm partnered with sponsor Carter Subaru to offer free parking for people who carpool to the game. At the first games, only six carpool spots were used, but by the end of the playoffs, about 80 carpools came.

Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist with the National Resources Defense Council, said sports offers an important access to people's attention. He cites a survey showing that only 18 percent of Americans pay close attention to any kind of science, while 56 percent follow sports.

The sports alliance has received endorsements from the commissioners of the major sports leagues and from the Environmental Protection Agency. It will be based in Portland, where a "Green Sports Summit" is scheduled in August.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com