The University of Rochester will compete against colleges and universities across the nation, in this year’s GameDay Recycling Challenge, a waste reduction and recycling competition.
The competition will take place during our homecoming game on October 18th at Fauver Stadium beginning at 1:00 pm, but instead of touchdowns, the GameDay Recycling Challenge competition is measured in pounds of material diverted through recycling, composting and via food donations versus the amount thrown away in the stadium and tailgate areas.
University Facilities and Services, Athletics and Recreation, and several student and employee volunteers are working together to give UR an edge over the competition. Several zero waste stations will be set up to collect recyclable and compostable material and our “recycling rangers” wearing bright green-colored Go Green! t-shirts will be there to guide people.
Winners for each athletic conference will be recognized in the national GameDay Recycling Challenge, with five different categories per conference. National winners will be recognized in two categories: 1) total amount recycled, composted and donated; and 2) diversion rate – or the percentage of waste diverted from the landfill.
“There are many benefits for a school participating in the GameDay Recycling Challenge,” said Robyn Hathcock, College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC) board chair, and housing zero waste program coordinator of the University of Oregon. “Not only does it bring positive exposure for school athletic programs, it expands the fan experience through game-day recycling and zero waste reduction activities. Because the 2014 time frame has been extended, schools can include late-season rivalry games, which will increase exposure, enthusiasm and performance in the Challenge.”
“Leveraging the school spirit that comes out during these classic football rivalries presents a unique opportunity to build awareness and connection to waste reduction and recycling among college football fans of all ages,” said Brenda Pulley, Senior Vice President, Recycling, Keep America Beautiful.
“As more and more college football stadiums step up their sustainability game, the GameDay Recycling Challenge showcases the top zero waste college stadiums in the country while offering technical assistance and support to stadium-based recycling programs that want to achieve more,” said Stacy Wheeler, RecycleMania, Inc. president. “The response to the Challenge so far has been remarkably positive and growing.”
Last season, 88 schools competed in the GameDay Recycling Challenge, which is managed by CURC, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Wastewise Program, Keep America Beautiful, and RecycleMania, Inc.
Challenge participants diverted 1.5 million pounds of material from the waste stream in 2013, preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 413 cars from the road for a year.
For more information about this challenge please visit http://gamedaychallenge.org/