Today’s championship game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots has something for everyone. “Manning Face” enthusiasts will be delighted to count the number of times the camera catches Eli Manning scrunching up his face and Tom Brady fans can analyze his most controversial feature- his hair. It’s all so exciting you may even forget there is a game being played! 

Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) is the home of this year’s Super Bowl XLVI (46) and as a multi-purpose stadium it’s used year-round for sporting events and functions. It’s managed by the same company as the Indiana Convention Center which is connected to LOS. The stadium seats anywhere from 15,000 to 70,000 people depending on the requirements and size of the event. LOS' ability to house that many people is a great power and with that comes a great responsibility to sustainability.

In 2010 LOS and the convention center together recycled “nearly 60 tons of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass and cardboard.” They also recycle pallets, paper, cooking oil and use a food waste pulper to recycle dishwater and condense food waste.

The center and stadium have both gone organic and local when it comes to the food they serve. This year, for the first time, Super Bowl guests will be able to purchase organic and locally-sourced food. The three varieties of chili (beef, pork, and vegetarian) feature hormone- and antibiotic- free meat and organically grown vegetables from Indiana. Centerplate, the official hospitality service of SB XLVI, will donate $2 from every sale to Farm Aid to help “build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America.”

You should expect to see the usual suspects when it comes to commercials: cars, beer, whatever product select NFL players are promoting, and the Ferris Bueller commercial that has already leaked online. If you plan to watch the pre-game show and live in the San Francisco Bay Area you may catch a special commercial about ocean conservation. Bob Talbot will use nothing but oceanography and music to make viewers focus on protecting and healing the ocean. The non-profit organization SeaWeb will post the commercial on their website after it airs live at 11:00 am PST on NBC's local Bay Area broadcasts.

As always, the easiest way you can be green on Super Bowl Sunday is to recycle every item of trash possible from your party, especially soda and beer cans. The Aluminum Association estimates that recycling two cans can offset the energy used to power the television during the game and pre- and post- game analysis. Americans only recycled 58% of their aluminum cans in 2010. Imagine if your favorite football team only gave that percentage of effort on the football field? You’d be sad, right? Don’t make the Aluminum Association sad this year by not recycling 100% of your cans.