NoThrowber Challenge

Want a chance to reduce your environmental impact and win cool prizes? 

Take the NoThrowber Challenge! 

This October 2013, the U-M Waste Reduction & Recycling Office is hosting the NoThrowber Waste Reduction Challenge to encourage U-M students, faculty, and staff to be mindful of what they throw away. Each day we will post a new challenge to our Facebook page. Participants may respond via “Like” or comment on the daily post. Some challenges will include a free giveaway and the participant who completes the most challenges will receive a Grand Prize. The NoThrowber Challenge is open to all U-M students, faculty, and staff.

Grand Prize: U-M Recycling canvas tote bag filled with goodies that will keep you waste-reducing all the time

Giveaway and Grand Prize winners will be contacted via Facebook to arrange pick-ups.

Please only post relevant comments and pictures. The U-M Waste Reduction & Recycling Office reserves the write to delete any off-topic or inappropriate content.

https://www.facebook.com/UMRecycling

Being Green in 2013: Week 15

The Game Plan

Recycling at the Big House and beyond

According to MGOBLUE.com:

"Our goal is for everyone involved in Michigan Athletics to be an active recycler, including our fans, coaches, student-athletes and staff. Through signage, more containers and education, we are confident we can significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills."

Football season is in full swing and U-M Recycling is working hard to make sure everyone recycles at the Big House. At the August 31^st game against Central Michigan University, fans recycled more than 5 tons of material and over 6.5 tons of recyclables were collected at the September 7th game against Notre Dame! A total of 25% of total waste was recycled at our first home game of the season and 21% at the second. Michigan Athletics has set the goal of at least a 50% recycling rate at all its locations, so Michigan football fans better step up their recycling game!

 

This year, Michigan Stadium is kicking off its first composting program. Back-of-house concessions will start composting food waste, and plans are in the works to improve the overall recycling and waste diversion program at Michigan Stadium. 

Last year, students at the Erb Institute published a feasibility study of Zero-Waste at the Big House. Click here to view a copy of the report.

What are other schools doing?

This year, 12 schools including Central Michigan University and Ohio State University are participating in the 2013 Game Day Recycling Challenge. The Game Day Challenge is a competition held by a partnership between the College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC), RecycleMania, and Keep America Beautiful (KAB). Colleges and universities track and report waste reduction and disposal data from football games and are then ranked based on this data. Last year, Earlham College ranked 1st in the category of Waste Reduction with 0.029 lbs/person of waste at their football stadium. Franklin College ranked 1st in the per capita Recycling category with 1.000 lbs/person of recyclables. Ohio State came in 1st in the Waste Diversion category, with a 98.2% diversion rate...woah. 

The University of Michigan does not participate in the Game Day Challenge due to Michigan's 10-cent deposit on many bottles and cans.  This deposit brings can collectors to Michigan Stadium each game, preventing the University from gathering data that can be accurately compared with other schools.

The Green Sports Alliance is another organization involved in enhancing sustainability and encouraging waste reduction for collegiate and professional sports organizations.The Alliance holds workshops, industry roundtables, keynotes, panels, and tours, and promotes networking and innovative solutions to help green the sports industry. Over 40 teams and nearly 90 venues now participate in the Green Sports Alliance.

What's next for recycling at Michigan Stadium? The Erb Institute study concludes that with careful planning and management, the Big House can be transformed into a zero-waste facility. Are our Leaders & Best up for the challenge?

Being Green in 2013: Week 14

Rufus is watching.

The U-M Waste Reduction & Recycling Office wants you to know that Rufus is watching… watching to see whether you are recycling, that is! The WRRO’s new “Rufus is Watching” campaign is starting to gain attention on campus, with students asking questions like, “Uhh…who’s Rufus? That’s actually kind of creepy…” on the diag. Rufus, a big blue triangle with sunglasses and a baseball cap, has been U-M recycling’s mascot since 2007, and it’s time every U-M student knows who he is! Known to don a smile and give out high-fives, this year Rufus really means business. Our latest campaign is intended to draw attention and spread the word about recycling on campus. The “Rufus is watching” posters send a message to students to set a good example by choosing to recycling because someone is always watching. Check out our poster and banner on the diag! And don't forget... Rufus is watching.