UGA will compete in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 Game Day Challenge against other colleges and universities to see who can reduce, reuse and recycle the most waste during one home football game this month. UGA will participate in the challenge during the Oct. 16 Homecoming game against Vanderbilt University.
As part of its Game Day Recycling Initiative, the Athletic Association is paying nonprofit groups to gather recyclables inside Sanford Stadium. The UGA Ecology Club will continue its efforts to promote recycling to tailgaters, and Parking Services and the 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. UGA’s Office of Sustainability offers the following suggestion to win this competition: bring less to tailgate, recycle all of bottles and cans using clear bags available through parking attendants and take remaining items when leaving the stadium.