Athletics Recycling

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Go to the EPA Challenge Page

Background

Benny the Beaver recycling

In 2009, representatives of Athletics and Campus Recycling came together to address how to reduce litter and trash at home football games. In the 2009 season, a waste reduction initiative was started wherein volunteers staffed stadium gates, helping fans sort discarded materials into trash and recycling (fans are required to dispose of all outside food or drink before entering). They filled a 6-yd dumpster of recyclables nearly every game, all of which had formerly been thrown away. Campus Recycling also obtained trash weights for the first time, estimating that OSU threw away an average of 10,000 lbs of trash every game in 2009.

Tips for Game Day Waste Reduction

  • Pack it in, pack it out. While tailgating, consider bringing trash home with you to help us reduce litter and waste.
  • Get it in the right bin. Trash carts and/or dumpsters are located in every tailgating parking lot. Every stadium gate entrance has staffed recycle stations starting 2 hours before kickoff.
  • Look for the mobile recycling trailer. Place your recyclables in the red bins in the trailer or hand them to a volunteer.  The trailer will circulate the tailgating areas around Reser Stadium starting 2 hours before kickoff.
  • Leave recyclables at your stadium seat. Leave recyclables at your stadium seat where our volunteer cleaning crews can collect them, rather than throwing them in a garbage can.

2012 Action Plan

  • A 30-second video is played on the stadium screen pre-game.
  • All stadium gates have staffed recycle stations starting two hours prior to kickoff.
  • Volunteers collect recycling from tailgaters around Reser Stadium using a mobile recycling trailer during the 2 hours prior to kickoff.
  • The Philomath High School football team collects material from the stadium stands after each game, to ensure recycling is separated out from trash.
  • Info is sent via social media accounts (Facebook & Twitter).
  • And much more at the EPA Game Day Challenge game!

Video

Filmed by OSU Web Communications at the 2010 EPA Challenge Game.

Get Involved!

2009 volunteersTo make this initiative successful and make a significant impact on OSU’s environmental footprint, we need people like you. Volunteer! Here's how.

For more information on volunteering, contact Andrea Norris, 541-737-5398.

Contacts

Andrea Norris, 541-737-5398, Campus Recycling
Marianne Vydra, 541-737-7496, Athletics