Colorado University Athletics

Green Stampede - Zero Waste Fact Sheet

Ralphie's Green Stampede Zero Waste Fact Sheet

How to Help

Reduce
- Walk, bus, or bike to the game 
- Do not bring prohibited materials into the stadium. 
- Make sure what you do bring is recyclable or  compostable
- Do not waste food or drink 

Recycle 
- Use your  recycling bag when tailgating 
- Make use of the Zero Waste stations in the stadium 
- Pick up and pack it out. DonGÇÖt trash the stadium 
- Make an effort to recycle and compost at home and office 

Rethink 
- Thank a volunteer for their hard work 
- GÇ£ProcottGÇ¥ our sponsors by choosing their goods/services 
- Be proud of having the greenest stadium in the NCAA! 

For a specific list of recyclables collected inside the stadium, click here

For a list of compostables collected inside the stadium, click here

For Folsom Field Zero Waste Stations, click here

ROTC Branch Involvement
The ROTC squads can be counted on for great recycling and composting as they clean the stadium after each home game.  Everyone wants to do their part for the environment and CU's ROTC units are no exception.  Their work also serves as valuable experience for participating in the recycling and composting programs that are becoming more and more common on the bases around the world which graduating officers will lead and serve at.
  • CU-Boulder's "Ralphie's Green Stampede" initiative to move the campus toward a zero-waste football stadium makes CU the first major collegiate or professional sports program in the United States to undertake such a sustainability measure.
  • Virtually all public food and beverage services in Folsom Field have converted to recyclable or compostable materials and containers. Virtually all packaging within the stadium is refillable, recyclable or compostable. Campus officials have adopted campus-wide goals of recycling or composting at least 90 percent of all materials by 2020.
  • There are no public trash containers -- only recycle and compost containers -- throughout the public areas of Folsom Field. Plant-based compostable bags are used to collect compostable materials.
  • Recyclables and compostables are collected each week at about 25 zero-waste stations inside and around the stadium. Student volunteers monitor the stations and advise patrons of proper materials separation steps. ROTC units conduct recycling and compost removal during stadium cleanup.
  • Any non-recyclable or non-compostable materials that are brought into Folsom Field by fans are deposited in the stadium's recycle containers and sorted post-game at the recycling processing facility on campus.
  • Silk-«, Horizon-«, and International Delight-« are primary sponsors of "Ralphie's Green Stampede," and have been instrumental in assisting the Athletic Department, the CU-Boulder Environmental Center and CU-Boulder Recycling Services and the Department of Facilities Management in the planning and execution of this new process..
  • Boulder-based Eco-Products Inc. is one of the main suppliers of the compostable serving ware.
  • The Folsom Field zero-waste and recycling efforts could reduce as much as 455 million BTU of energy, equivalent to the total yearly energy use of four U.S. households, according to the EPA, providing beneficial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for all Coloradans.
  • The Folsom Field zero-waste program is expected to be low cost initially and to save costs over time as price differences ease between compostable materials and disposables. Cost savings will result from reduced trash disposal costs.
  • CU-Boulder has already funded and implemented a robust energy conservation program in its athletic facilities that has helped cut energy consumption an average of 5 percent per square foot across campus each year between 2002 and 2007.
  • From 2008-2010, the RalphieGÇÖs Green Stampede program resulted in the collection of more than 242,000 pounds, or 121 tons, or recyclables and compostables.
  • Folsom Stadium total waste generation by season, including over 77,000 pounds of cans and bottles and over 89,000 pounds of compostables, dropped by more than 30 percent from 2008-2010.
  • CU is a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment that commits the campus to an aggressive plan to eliminate carbon emissions from the campus in the coming decades. An interim goal of a 20 percent reduction in total greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 2020 is currently being pursued. CUGÇÖs most recent GHG inventory showed that emissions had essentially flattened since 2005.
  • CU is supportive of Gov. Ritter's climate action plan that targets a 20 percent reduction by 2020 and an 80 percent reduction by 2050 in carbon emissions. The reductions by CU Athletics are another step along CU-Boulder's path toward carbon neutrality.
  • CU-Boulder students have worked in local neighborhoods to directly reduce residential energy-related carbon emissions in affordable housing via weatherization programs that upgrade homes' energy performance, reduce residents' energy bills and create service learning and education experiences.

For more information visit:
The University of Colorado Recycling Services
www.colorado.edu/recycle

Frequently Asked Questions