The ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Office of Sustainability will participate in the stadium waste reduction and recycling competition during the Sept. 30 football game against the University at Buffalo at 3:30 p.m. at Dix Stadium.
The national competition between other colleges and universities is an initiative to promote waste reduction and recycling at home football and basketball games. Schools track the waste and recycling that day and report it to the national Game Day Challenge officials.
βGame Day Challenge is a great opportunity to raise awareness and measure up,β says Melanie Knowles, ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Stateβs manager for sustainability. βOur ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State team, from fans to athletics, concessions and the grounds crew have been supportive. It allows us to see how we are doing and look at what opportunities we can find to improve over last year.β
ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State has participated for five years, and last year, for the fourth consecutive year, the amount of recycling per person increased at the football game against Ohio University. Last year, the diversion rate, which is the percentage recycled out of trash and recycling waste streams, was 61 percent. ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State placed 16 out of 47 participating colleges and universities. Of the Mid-Atlantic Conference universities, ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ State ranked second in recycling per capita.
βWe look forward to the enthusiasm student volunteers bring while educating fans on what can be recycled during Game Day Challenge,β says Leah Graham, ΜμΜμ³ΤΉΟ Stateβs outreach recycling coordinator. "We hope to see an increase in our recycling rate and to continue to improve on our previous Game Day Challenge standings.β
For more information or to volunteer at Game Day Challenge, visit www.kent.edu/sustainability/game-day-challenge.