National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR), Levy and Denali, one of the nation鈥檚 largest organic recycler, announced they will collaborate to recycle the leftover or uneaten food following NASCAR Cup Series鈩� events at all NASCAR-owned tracks across the U.S. during the 2025 racing season. Denali helps fight climate change by diverting organic waste from landfills and transforming it into valuable nutrients for agriculture and horticulture.
鈥淒enali is on a mission to replenish the earth by repurposing organic waste into valuable resources,鈥� said Eric Speiser, Denali鈥檚 Chief Revenue Officer. 鈥淲orking with sports organizations like NASCAR allows us to make a significant impact on the environment while helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to a cleaner future.鈥�
鈥淣ASCAR is proud to announce this national food recycling program across 11 of NASCAR鈥檚 owned tracks 鈥� one that we believe is among the first major sports leagues to take a nationwide approach to recycling food,鈥� said Riley Nelson, NASCAR鈥檚 Head of Sustainability. 鈥淚n 2024, NASCAR recycled nearly 57,000 pounds of food from events across the country, and we look forward to building on that momentum in 2025.鈥�
Sporting events of a large scale such as NASCAR races generate an average of 5,000 pounds of food waste per event. As a first step, NASCAR works strategically with Levy to donate provisions to support food insecure families in local communities. In 2024, Levy facilitated the donation of 13,520 pounds of food following NASCAR Cup Series鈩� races.
For food that cannot be donated, Denali collects this unconsumed food and gives it a new purpose, recycling it into compost, nutrient-rich soils, natural fertilizer and animal feed. Together, NASCAR, Levy and Denali will recycle an estimated 80,000 pounds of food waste into usable products in 2025. This amounts to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 26.14 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of charging more than two million smartphones over 22 hours.
The collaboration is part of NASCAR IMPACT’s sustainability efforts. The organization set a goal to achieve net zero emissions across its operations by 2035 and continues to invest in sustainable practices, including relationships with organizations like Denali to reduce waste, conserve resources, and promote sustainable practices at its events.
鈥淲orking with Denali and Levy to collect and recycle food waste at our races illustrates the collaborative effort needed for NASCAR to achieve the goals set across our operation over the next decade,鈥� said Nelson. 鈥淭he positive impact of this collective effort paves the way for future opportunities.鈥�
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, unconsumed food comprises approximately 24% of landfill content, producing greenhouse gas emissions 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 鈥淭he foundation of our sustainability strategy is our goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030,鈥� said Mary McCarthy, Vice President of Sustainability for Levy. 鈥淥ur teams focus on three things: waste prevention, reducing waste at the source, and recovery to divert surplus food. Working with Denali and NASCAR is an incredible opportunity for our teams to create a positive impact in their communities.
In 2023, Denali recycled 14 billion pounds of organic materials, including 1.7 billion pounds of food waste from grocery stores, special events and entertainment venues, hotels, and restaurants.