Colorado University Athletics

Colorado Wins 2011 EPA Game Day Challenge

Colorado Wins 2011 EPA Game Day Challenge
Related Links

BOULDER - The University of Colorado Boulder topped two leader boards in the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyGÇÖs 2011 Game Day Challenge -- a national competition to eliminate waste generated at college football games.

CU won the 48-school GÇ£Diversion RateGÇ¥ and 17-school GÇ£Organics ReductionGÇ¥ categories in the EPAGÇÖs NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision contest.

GÇ£Our achievements toward zero-waste reflect the efforts of an outstanding team committed to this initiative,GÇ¥ said CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn. GÇ£Being a national leader in the EPA challenge would not have been possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of campus leaders and the cooperation of event sponsors and vendors. The enthusiasm and willingness of fans, led by our students, has been key in driving the success of this endeavor.GÇ¥

Data for CUGÇÖs competition in the EPA challenge was taken from the Oct. 22, 2011, home football game against the University of Oregon. Measures that marked CU as the division winner in GÇ£Diversion RateGÇ¥ and GÇ£Organics ReductionGÇ¥ included diverting nearly 88 percent of total gameday waste from landfills. Also, about 2.5 ounces of organic materials per person were diverted from landfills and composted or donated instead.

GÇ£One of the most exciting aspects of this whole effort has been the reduction in overall waste generated despite record attendance and food sales,GÇ¥ said Edward von Bleichert, CU-Boulder environmental operations manager. GÇ£Compared to 2008, the 2011 season produced 21 percent less total waste per game and sent 44 percent less trash to the landfill per game due to aggressive composting and recycling efforts.GÇ¥

According to the EPA, 2.7 million game-goers involved in the 2011 challenge from 78 participating colleges and universities diverted more than 500,000 pounds of waste from football games, preventing nearly 810 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of the annual emissions from 159 passenger vehicles.

CU also competed in the EPAGÇÖs 2009 inaugural Game Day Challenge against seven other schools, winning in the GÇ£Diversion RateGÇ¥ and GÇ£Waste ReductionGÇ¥ categories.

In 2008, CU became the nationGÇÖs first major college football program to commit to zero-waste at football games through its own RalphieGÇÖs Green Stampede initiative, later extending the same efforts to all athletics events.

GÇ£We would be remiss if we did not salute Boulder CountyGÇÖs own White Wave Foods for its inspiration and support in creating RalphieGÇÖs Green Stampede,GÇ¥ said Bohn.

For more information on RalphieGÇÖs Green Stampede visit CUBuffs.com/green. For more information on the EPA Game Day Challenge visit http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/partnerships/wastewise/challenge/gameday/index.htm.