SUNRISE, Fla. — Saturday marks National Recycling Day, a reminder of the importance of cutting waste and recycling correctly — a message that hits especially close to home in South Florida, where cities and counties are struggling to manage a growing solid waste crisis.

As Broward County prepares to roll out its new master plan to manage waste more efficiently, officials have enlisted a powerful new ally: the Florida Panthers, the two-time Stanley Cup champions who now hope to score big for the environment.

“When the Florida Panthers tell the fans that this is important — not just recycling, but composting — and we’re going to start doing it, this is the game changer for us here in Broward County,” said Mike Ryan, mayor of Sunrise and co-chair of the Broward County Solid Waste Authority.

Broward County, like neighboring Miami-Dade, is facing what Ryan calls an “absolute crisis” in solid waste management.

“We’re producing 20,000 pounds of garbage every minute here in Broward County. That’s over 10 billion pounds a year,” he said. “And we’re doing a terrible job on recycling and composting.”

To help shift habits, the Panthers are teaming up with the Broward Solid Waste Authority to use their platform — and their fans — to spread awareness about better waste management.

“There’s 2 million folks that come through this building every year, and that’s 2 million opportunities to educate the fan on what the best way to sort their materials are,” said Michael Prairie, senior director of sustainability and business optimization for the Florida Panthers.

The Panthers have already ramped up recycling and launched a composting initiative at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

“We are sorting all of our aluminum, plastic and food waste on event nights. We are currently baling aluminum and cardboard on site,” Prairie said. “We are diverting single-use plastic and glass to a mixed recycling facility.”

The organization is also focused on making recycling easier for fans during games.

“We’re looking to make some signage adjustments, some bin placement adjustments, and some better educational opportunities to better inform our fan so they’re making the right decision,” Prairie said.

Those changes are paying off.

“In 2024 we diverted 105 tons of single-use plastic, cardboard and aluminum from landfill,” he said. “And I can say that as of today, we are already ahead of that pace from last year.”

Currently, composting at the arena happens behind the scenes where food is prepped, but the team hopes to expand it to fan areas soon.

“With the knowledge that food waste is the most abundant material in those landfills, how can we lead in finding that solution?” Prairie said. “I think this is critical.”

Food waste makes up roughly 25% of landfill trash, producing methane — a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

“So being able to tackle food waste, and being able to do it in a dedicated way, is saving not only the environment but it’s saving really limited capacity of our landfills,” Ryan said.

Though composting isn’t yet available countywide, it’s a key part of Broward’s newly drafted Solid Waste Authority Master Plan, which is set to be presented to municipalities for approval in January.

“What’s great about this is the Florida Panthers are saying, ‘We’re not waiting for Broward County to catch up with us,’” Ryan said. “We know this is the right thing to do, not only for the environment but economically. We’re going to be able to make something from this.”

For the Panthers, the initiative goes beyond the arena — and even beyond hockey.

“Our namesake, the Florida panther, is one of the most endangered mammals on planet Earth,” Prairie said. “And I think we view sustainability as an opportunity to serve the community in a lot of different ways.”

“We are the vessel that can be used to create and build new habits or educate the community,” he added. “And when they take those habits home — that’s the key.”

With the team’s leadership on sustainability, Broward County officials say the partnership could set a model for communities across South Florida.

As Prairie put it, “Game on, South Florida.”

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