Last October, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, competed in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Game Day Recycling Challenge, a friendly nationwide contest to determine which university can reduce the most waste during a football game day.

“Reducing, reusing, and recycling moves our nation toward an environmentally and economically greener, sustainable tomorrow,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

In total, seventy-five universities competed in five categories: recycling, trash diversion, greenhouse gas reduction, organics reduction, and waste minimization. UT proved a strong competitor in the Southeastern Conference division, placing in several categories and winning one.

Before, during, and after the game against South Carolina on October 29, UT Recycling and dozens of volunteers canvassed campus tailgating areas collecting glass bottles, plastics, and aluminum cans, as well as food waste from Volunteer Village, Circle Park, Neyland Stadium skyboxes, and parking areas 9, 30, and G10.

“We had more volunteers and UT Recycling staff working harder that game than ever before. The effort was truly amazing. Even with fewer fans tailgating that game, we collected more recyclable material than any other game before or since,” said Jay Price, UT environmental coordinator.

As the only organics reduction competitor in the SEC, UT won the category and placed fifteenth nationally, collecting 0.025 pounds of compostable food waste per person.

UT finished second behind Louisiana State University in the SEC greenhouse gas reduction category and fifteenth nationally, saving 47.15 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions for the day.

UT finished third in the trash diversion category and thirty-fourth nationally, with 32.19 percent of waste avoiding the trash pile. The University of Kentucky overwhelmingly won this category, diverting 63.21 percent of waste from the trash.

UT finished fourth in the SEC recycling category and nineteenth nationally by collecting 0.234 pounds of recycling per person.

UT finished sixth in the waste minimization category and fifty-sixth nationally, generating 0.806 pounds of non recyclable trash per person. The University of Florida eclipsed competition in this category, generating only 0.215 pounds of trash per person.

Although UT’s totals were positive, Price knows Big Orange fans can perform even better in the upcoming 2012 football season.

“These results are encouraging, but we still see a lot of recyclable material being thrown in the trash can rather than the recycling bin. We’ve worked hard to pair up trash cans with recycling bins. Fans can really help by being conscientious and putting their bottles, cans, and cups in the right bin,” Price said.

UT’s game day food waste is composted at UT’s on-site composting facility, located across from the UT Medical Center. Glass, aluminum, plastics, paper, and cardboard collected by UT Recycling is taken to the Rock Tenn recycling facility in Knoxville.

For a complete list of results, visit the EPA website.

For more information about recycling on campus, visit the UT Recycling website here.

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As the University of Tennessee Volunteers face off against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 29, Big Orange fans will compete against other football fans nationwide in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Game Day Recycling Challenge to determine which university recycles the most.

An initiative of the EPA’s WasteWise program, the Game Day Recycling Challenge is a friendly, nationwide competition for universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. In 2010, UT finished third in the SEC recycling category, collecting 0.18 pounds of recycling per person. Louisiana State University and the University of Arkansas finished first and second, respectively.

This year, Jay Price, UT facilities environmental coordinator, hopes UT will finish on top.

“We recycled 11 tons during the game against Georgia and 11.88 tons against LSU, so we have to step it up to about 18 tons to win the Game Day Challenge and also reach our goal of 80 tons for the season,” said Price.

Eighty tons—10 tons per game—is an increase from 2010, when UT recycled 54.7 tons of waste during the football season.

Price’s team makes recycling convenient and easy for Big Orange fans. Approximately 700 recycling bins are strategically placed at campus tailgating areas. An additional 350 bins are located inside Neyland Stadium and the skyboxes.

Before, during, and after this weekend’s game, UT recycling and dozens of volunteers will canvas campus tailgating areas to collect glass bottles, plastics, and aluminum cans, as well as food waste from Volunteer Village, Circle Park, Neyland Stadium skyboxes, and parking areas 9, 30, and G10.

“The football games are one area we’re focusing on to expand composting efforts this year,” Price said. “We are able to make a big impact in a short amount of time.”

Food waste is composted at UT’s on-site composting facility, located across from the UT Medical Center.

In related recycling news, the winners of the eighteenth annual Good Sports Always Recycle (GSAR) school challenge will be announced during the UT-USC game. Each year, Tennessee’s K-12 schools compete for recognition as one of the state’s top ten environmentally active schools.

Eastman Chemical Company co-sponsored the GSAR challenge.

“At Eastman, we believe sustainability is an attitude and we want to create a future environment our children and grandchildren can enjoy,” said Anne Kilgore, director of global sustainability at Eastman. “We hope to influence the next generation of UT students, fans, and employees.”

Judges determine GSAR winners based on a number of factors, including a school’s creative and campus-wide recycling and waste-reduction plan, active student and community involvement, efforts to integrate recycling into the curriculum, and current and future recycling goals.

Winning schools will receive a commemorative plaque and $500 to help grow their environmental efforts. In addition, a special tailgate will be held for the winning schools at Circle Park prior to the UT-USC game. The winners also will be recognized on the field during the game.

Good Sports Always Recycle™ is sponsored by Eastman Chemical Company, the Knoxville Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Waste Connections and Food City, in conjunction with UT. For more information, visit www.Eastman.com/GSAR, or contact Jennifer Wiggins at (865) 680-1457 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For more information on the Game Day Challenge, visit the WasteWise website. For more information on UT Recycling, visit www.facebook.com/utkrecycling.

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