Campus News

UGA to compete in EPA Game Day Challenge

Athens, Ga. -The University of Georgia will participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 Game Day Challenge and compete against other colleges and universities to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most waste during one home football game during the month of October. UGA will participate in the challenge during the Oct. 16 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt University.

The competition will require coordination of ongoing efforts: the UGA Athletic

Association will utilize non-profit groups to gather recyclables inside the stadium; the UGA Ecology Club will continue their efforts to promote recycling to tailgaters; and UGA Parking Services and the UGA Athletic Association will distribute recycling bags in parking lots under their control.

The amount of waste generated and recycled will be calculated along with official game

attendance to determine winning schools in the following categories:
-least amount of waste generated per attendee (total waste tonnage divided by attendance);

-greatest greenhouse gas reductions (using an EPA formula);

-highest recycling rate (total recycling tonnage divided by total waste tonnage); and

-highest combined recycling and composting rate.

Winners will be publicized on the EPA’s website in November.

The Office of Sustainability offers the following suggestion to win this competition:

“Bring less to your tailgate, recycle all of your bottles and cans using clear bags available

through parking attendants, and take your remaining items with you when you leave.”

The Office of Sustainability works closely with departments and individuals to coordinate communicate and advance sustainability initiatives at UGA. More information is available at http://www.sustainability.uga.edu.